Australia-based copper and gold developer SolGold on Monday announced that Scott Caldwell has been appointed CEO of the company and that former Guyana executive Chris Stackhouse has been named CFO.

Caldwell has been servicing as interim CEO of SolGold since November last year, when Darryl Cuzzubo resigned as MD and CEO.

As part of his new role, Caldwell will assume the position of president of SolGold Ecuador, a move which the company says underscores its commitment to its operations in Ecuador and its focus on sustainable growth and development in the region.

"I am honoured to have been chosen to lead such a talented team and work towards achieving our shared goals at SolGold. As we continue to move forward, I am excited to lead the company into a successful future. We are thrilled to welcome Chris Stackhouse to our team as our new CFO. With his exceptional background in finance, operations, project development, expertise in the mining sector and Spanish language skills, he brings invaluable experience to our team. Together, we will work towards delivering on our strategic initiatives,” said Caldwell in a media statement.

Stackhouse has more than 20 years of experience successfully managing development stage assets through operations with extensive experience living and working in South America. He spent seven years with Guyana Goldfields, which was bought by Zijin Mining, holding various senior finance roles, including interim CFO. He was instrumental in the development and operation of the Aurora gold mine, including the finalisation of the feasibility study and project financing.

Keith Pollocks will continue as interim CFO until Stackhouse's appointment.

Meanwhile, to secure his appointment and for retention purposes, Caldwell has been granted an exceptional award of 30-million options over ordinary shares in the company at an exercise price of £0.17 a share that are tied to specific performance criteria which will be assessed at the end of the vesting period.