Strategic Natural Resources (LON:SNRP) today announced two board appointments, which it said will help it in the next stage of its development.
The South African operating coal miner has appointed Don Nicolson as deputy chairman and Gabriel Ruhan as a non-executive director.
Nicholson has spent 26 years with supermajor BP (LON:BP.), where he managed oil and gas businesses in the North Sea, the US and Canada and held senior roles at the group’s headquarters in London.
He has also served as chief executive of Scottish Resources Group, which owns Scottish Coal, the UK's largest open cast mining coal company and second largest coal producer.
The company's new non-exec Ruhan will represent shareholder Richardsons Capital LLP on the board.
Ruhan has previously served as COO of Navisite (NASDAQ:NAVI), where he lead the integration of eight separate company acquisitions. He is currently chief executive of Global Marine Systems and a director at Bridgehouse Capital.
Both appointments are effective immediately.
“We are delighted to welcome Gabriel and Don to the Board and are confident that their considerable expertise will aid the company in the next stage of its development,” said chief executive of SNRP David Nel.
Communications director Jeremy Metcalfe will leave the board to make room for Ruhan and will also step down from the board of the company’s 74 percent owned subsidiary Elitheni Coal.
Stone Sizani has also left the SNR board, but he will remain on the board of Elitheni Coal.
The company started opencast mining at its Elitheni mine in April, and expects blasting operations this month and next to expose around 40,000 tonnes of coal.
These operations will continue until around 100,000 tonnes of coal are exposed, which is expected to be during the third quarter of 2012.