Minerals giant Anglo Platinum announced the appointment of Neville Nicolau as CEO of the company, with effect June 1, 2008.

Nicolau has nearly 30 years of gold-mining experience, including eight years with AngloGold Ashanti, where he held a number of senior executive positions, most recently as COO. He gained much of his operational experience over 20 years at Vaal Reefs and President Brand Gold Mines, and joined Anglo American in 2008.

“I am delighted that the company appointed Nicolau to lead Anglo Platinum at this important time for the company and the industry. Nicolau’s extensive experience in deep underground mining, gained over many years in a number of challenging technical and operational roles, positions him well to realise the company’s significant ambitions as a world-leading platinum producer,” says Anglo Platinum chairperson Fred Phaswana.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Norman Mbazima and Duncan Wanblad for carrying out their interim roles with such professionalism under difficult operating circum- stances. They have made considerable contributions to the Anglo American group over many years and I wish them both every success in their new roles,” he adds .

Nicolau comments that Anglo Platinum has a unique, world-class portfolio of assets with exciting growth and development potential in the near, medium and long term. “I am really looking forward to the challenge of leading the company and its people to achieve the goal of top-level performance, with safety at its core,” he adds.

Further, Mbazima has been appointed CEO of Anglo American’s international diversified steel products business, Scaw Metals, but will continue as CFO of Anglo Platinum until the search for his successor has been completed, at which point he will take up his new role at Scaw.

Wanblad has been appointed CEO for copper in the base metals division of Anglo American from July 1, 2008, enabling an appropriate period of handover to Nicolau.

Nicolau has a Bachelor of Technology in Mining Engineering from the Witwatersrand Technikon, an MBA from the University of Cape Town, and he has attended the Advanced Management Programme at the University of Oxford’s Templeton College.

Nicolau has spent his career with Anglo American’s Gold and Uranium Division and its successor AngloGold Ashanti. He began his career at Vaal Reefs as a learner official in January 1979, where he spent his first year before moving to the Free State gold fields, in Welkom, for the next 13 years.

He moved back to Vaal Reefs in 1993, reaching the position of GM at the Great Noligwa Mine. In February 1999, Nicolau became general manager of Western Deep Levels, the world’s deepest mine, which formed part of AngloGold.

In 2000 and 2001, Nicolau and his family lived in Brazil, where he was the technical director of AngloGold’s South American operations. The family returned to South Africa at the end of 2001 and Nicolau was appointed executive officer for the South African operations.

In May 2005, he was appointed an executive director and simultaneously took up the position of CEO, Africa, which he held until July 2007.

Nicolau’s appointment in August 2007 as CEO saw his responsibilities widen to cover all 20 operations in ten countries for AngloGold Ashanti, the world’s 3rd largest gold producer, with a yearly production of around 5,5-million ounces.

Nicolau joined Anglo American in March 2008.

To subscribe to Mining Weekly's print magazine email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or buy now.