ASX-listed gold miner Firefinch has announced the appointment of new MD Scott Lowe, with effect from October 17.  

Lowe is a senior mining executive with extensive experience in the industry spanning more than 35 years in a range of commodities and countries.  

His most recent roles have been with mining major South32 in Australia and as CEO of metal producer ArcelorMittal’s West African mining business in Liberia. Previous roles have included CEO of publicly listed mining exploration and development companies and senior management positions in mining major BHP and coal company Peabody Pacific. 

During his career, Lowe worked in several African jurisdictions and delivered notable results in challenging environments including; achieving record production and low costs in an opencut operation in West Africa during the pandemic, managing the start-up of new open cut and underground mines in South Africa and West Africa, as well as negotiating successful joint ventures with BHP and mining major Glencore.  

Lowe holds a post-graduate qualification in business management, along with tertiary qualifications in mining engineering, a mine manager’s certificate of competency in Australia, and a diploma in marine terminal operations from King’s Point Merchant Marine Academy in New York, in the US. 

Lowe will succeed acting CEO Andrew Taplin, who will resume the role of COO. 

“The Morila gold project [in Mali] has contributed to the Malian communities for over two decades and will continue for years ahead. Managing the detail to extract the most from the project, maintain the strong community and government relationships, 

and to operate in an environmentally sensitive manner requires a depth of knowledge and experience that is reposited with Lowe.  

“[His] strong operational capability, coupled with African experience, places Morila and Firefinch into safe, sensible hands to guide the growth and stability at the project and for Firefinch,” chairperson Brett Fraser said.