Leading Australian gold producer Northern Star has appointed mining veteran Mark Cutifani to its board following pressure from major shareholder Elliott Investment Management to make strategic changes.

Elliott has been quoted as saying that Northern Star is persistently underperforming relative to industry peers.

Peter Rozenauers joins Cutifani as an independent nonexecutive director effective October 1.

Suresh Vadnagra is due to take over as MD and CEO, succeeding Stuart Tonkin, while Jeff Quartermaine and Terry Bowen have also recently been appointed as new independent directors.

Northern Star had reviewed a list of six candidates proposed by Elliott in accordance with its normal processes.

Cutifani's career spans nearly five decades in mining, including as CE of Anglo American and CEO of AngloGold Ashanti. He is currently also chairperson of Vale Base Metals.

Rozenauers brings to his position 34 years' experience in natural resources investment management and trading, having been a managing partner of Orion Resource Partners. Rozenauers is also a nonexecutive director of Nasdaq-listed Uranium Royalty Corporation.

"With Rozenauers and Cutifani’s appointment and the recent appointments of Quartermaine and Bowen, we will have a board with the mix of skills and experience needed to work with our new senior leadership to unlock the full potential of Northern Star’s assets," says chairperson Michael Chaney.

"Gold mining has been a huge part of my life and it’s great to be back in the sector. As Australia’s leading listed gold producer, Northern Star has an enviable portfolio of assets and, at a personal level, it’s something of a homecoming given I was the inaugural general manager for the establishment of the Kalgoorlie Superpit way back in 1989," Cutifani comments.

"It’s an honour to join the board and I’m excited about what the company has ahead of it under the new leadership. I’m very pleased to be joining at a time when the full potential of KCGM is being delivered through commissioning of the new Fimiston Mill and to have the opportunity to contribute to the successful development of the new Hemi project," Rozenauers adds.

"As one of Northern Star’s largest shareholders, we are encouraged by the new appointments to the board. We believe their highly relevant and complementary skills can help Northern Star realise the full potential of its world-class gold mining portfolio. Elliott remains committed to working
constructively with Northern Star to help the company deliver the outcome its shareholders deserve," concludes Elliott partner John Pike.