PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Iron-ore major Fortescue Metals on Thursday announced a number of executive appointments as the company started its transition from a pure play iron-ore producer to a green renewables and resources company.
Dino Otranto has been appointed COO of iron-ore at Fortescue, joining the company from major Vale in Canada where he held the position of COO for Vale’s base metals North Atlantic operations and prior to that the role of chief technology officer.
Fortescue noted that Otranto had significant leadership experience across operational, technical and financial roles gained in Australia and internationally, and that his expertise, combined with Fortescue’s well-established reputation for operational excellence, would be instrumental in providing first class operational capability for the establishment of Fortescue’s green renewables and green resources initiative.
Otranto will take up the role in November, subject to travel and completion of quarantine requirements.
Felicity Underhill has been appointed director Australia Eastern States for Fortescue Future Industries (FFI).
Underhill has some 20 years of experience in the global oil and gas industry and since 2018 has focused on hydrogen, most recently as GM for future fuels at Origin Energy, and is director and deputy chair of the Australian Hydrogen Council.
Gordon Cowe has been appointed projects director at FFI for green renewables and green resources. He returns to Fortescue following the highly successful execution of the original Fortescue T45-T155 expansion which positioned the company for its current balance sheet strength and low operating cost.
Upon completion of this project, Cowe continued in major projects leadership internationally throughout the Middle East, Europe and Latin America delivering infrastructure, hydrogen and mineral processing projects.
Warren Fish joins Fortescue as director Aboriginal Engagement, Community, Environment and Government. Fortescue noted that Fish brings extensive experience in heritage, native title and Indigenous affairs as well as health, safety and environment having previously held a range of senior industry and government roles.
In 2016, he established his own consultancy business providing services to a range of clients on stakeholder relations, heritage and native title with close working relationships with Traditional Custodian groups.
He is expected to play an important leadership position within communities on land access and collaboration within the vast regions of Western Australia. This will support the conversion of Fortescue’s imported energy requirements to self-sufficient green energy and energy export operations.
Fish will take up his role in December.
“We are delighted to welcome Otranto, Underhill, Cowe and Fish to our team. They bring significant experience to lead and complement our highly capable Operations, Engineering, Community, Environment and Government teams as we restructure and broaden our leadership to achieve our goal of carbon neutrality, lower energy costs and the establishment of our green hydrogen and green ammonia export operations,” said Fortescue CEO Elizabeth Gaines.
“They have demonstrated their commitment to our culture and values and we look forward to their contribution to our leadership team as Fortescue enters its next phase of growth and development. Our newest operation at Eliwana and our Iron Bridge Magnetite project are underpinning growth in our world class iron-ore operations, and at the same time we are building our global leadership position in the green energy transition.
“We are diversifying our business to become an integrated, global green renewables and green resources company, and at this important juncture in Fortescue’s journey it is timely to refresh and renew our executive team with new perspectives and opportunities, global experience and deep understanding of our green iron-ore, renewables and green industry future,” Gaines said.