TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Vancouver-based Western Copper has appointed Robert Byford to its board of directors, and announced on Tuesday that director and co-chairperson of the company Ross Beaty has resigned from his positions.

Beaty, who has founded several successful mining companies, joined Western Copper's board in 2006, when it acquired Lumina Resources. He was previously chairperson of Lumina.

He has resigned to focus on his new geothermal company, Magma Energy, Beaty said in a statement.

Byford is a former partner of KPMG LLP and senior vice president and director of KPMG Corporate Finance.

Western Copper's main assets are the Carmacks copper project and the Casino copper/gold/molybdenum project, both in the Yukon.

The firm also has other prospects in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.