Swiss-headquartered iron-ore company Ferrexpo has appointed Jim North as CEO, with immediate effect.
North has held the position of acting CEO from May 2020, having been the group’s COO since 2014. Prior to joining Ferrexpo, North held senior operational management roles in multiple commodities with Rio Tinto and BHP.
"Having shown excellent leadership of the group since assuming the role of acting CEO in May 2020, we are delighted to announce the permanent appointment of Jim North as CEO. During his time as acting CEO, Jim has shown an adept ability to refocus the group's strategy, further promote an inclusive leadership model, deliver a clear message on key topics relevant to stakeholders, whilst also continuing to deliver strong operational performance across the group. All of this has been achieved against a backdrop of the global Covid-19 pandemic, which is a credit to Jim and the wider leadership team,” said Ferrexpo chairperson Lucio Genovese.
Since stepping into the role of acting CEO, North has guided the group to implement projects to enhance the overall effectiveness of its operations in Ukraine and securing the group's first long-term contract for its latest product - higher grade direct reduction pellets.
In addition to delivering these operational improvements, under North's leadership the group has also published a formal shareholder returns policy, inaugural carbon reduction targets and announced the Wave 1 expansion, which will add a further three-million tonnes of pellet capacity; initiatives that are aimed at positioning Ferrexpo for a low-carbon future.