Chris Griffith, newly appointed Chief Government Officer of Gold Fields. (Picture: Waldo Swiegers / Bloomberg through Getty Pictures)
Chris Griffith has a wealth of expertise beneath his belt throughout the mining sector. He was former CEO of Kumba Iron Ore earlier than taking the reins at one other Anglo American unit, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats).
Chris Griffith has been appointed CEO of Gold Fields, the corporate mentioned on Thursday. He’ll substitute Nick Holland, who will retire on 1 April.
The announcement and the transfer each got here sooner than anticipated. Holland was because of retire in September after 13 years on the helm, however Gold Fields mentioned in an announcement that he had “agreed to retire six months earlier to facilitate the management transition”.
Griffith (55) has a wealth of expertise beneath his belt throughout the mining sector. He was former CEO of Kumba Iron Ore earlier than taking the reins at one other Anglo American unit, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats). There he oversaw the corporate’s worthwhile transition to mechanisation, promoting off the majority of its labour-intensive property to Sibanye-Stillwater. With income hovering, Griffith abruptly resigned in April. It isn’t stunning to see him gainfully employed once more.
Gold costs are at elevated ranges above $1,800 an oz so it isn’t a nasty time to be the CEO of a mining firm that produces the valuable steel.
Griffith must be an excellent match as Holland additionally pivoted Gold Fields in direction of mechanisation and automation, spinning off its labour-heavy South African mines into Gold Fields. Holland has lengthy been an articulate voice within the trade, pushing ideas comparable to high quality ounces over amount and placing ESGs (environmental, social and governance points) entrance and centre in the way in which the corporate does enterprise.
Griffith’s inbox will embrace Gold Fields’ final remaining South African asset, South Deep, the place a tricky geology has stymied efforts to make an enormous useful resource worthwhile, and the event of an enormous new mine in Chile.
Identified for considering outdoors of the field, Griffith keenly embraced not simply mechanisation but additionally digitisation and different high-tech initiatives at Amplats. Anticipate him to use his thoughts on this strategy to Gold Fields.
He caught flak throughout the five-month Amcu strike in 2014 for feedback during which he defended his seven-digit wage. He has apologised for these remarks.
Griffith might be the one mining CEO to have survived a bodily encounter with one of many Massive 5 species of African megafauna. He made a splash on the Cape City Mining Indaba in 2017 when he confirmed up battered and in a wheelchair. It transpired that he had been attacked by a Cape buffalo whereas on trip in Tanzania.
He could keep away from Cape buffalo as of late however he’s positive to turn out to be a gold bull. DM/BM
