PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (TSX:PYR, NASDAQ:PYR) has announced that Alan Curleigh is returning to lead the company's board of directors as chair, effective immediately.
The company said P. Peter Pascali will step down as chair of PyroGenesis, and pursue his regular duties as CEO, president and director. The company's board now has eight directors, of which six are independent directors.
“On behalf of the board of directors and myself, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Mr Curleigh on his return to PyroGenesis. Mr Curleigh has the deepest respect of PyroGenesis’ management team, most of whom have worked closely with him until his departure as chair in 2019 after a 9-year tenure. His history with the team will allow for an easy transition of leadership governance,” said Pascali in a statement.
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“As much as I liked being the chair, I always looked at it as an interim position as I believe the chair would be better served by an independent director, and who better than the one who has served us well before. We feel very fortunate that the opportunity arose whereby Mr Alan Curleigh’s diverse skill set, and extensive international business experience will once again complement our existing leadership. We have no doubt he will be instrumental in our success in pursuing our goal to be the leading innovator and provider of greenhouse gases emission reduction, and energy transition technologies, to heavy industry," he added.
Curleigh commented: “I am honored to serve once again as chair of PyroGenesis’ board after a short hiatus.. The company has undergone significant growth with exciting changes, and I could not be more proud to return to the company. The momentum has clearly been building and the company has entered an exciting new chapter in its history. I am looking forward to working with my fellow board members and the company's management teams to support this next stage of growth.”
The company noted that Curleigh has a wealth of experience in international business, capital projects, and board governance. For many years a senior executive and board member of TESSAG KSH (now KSH Solutions), a 100-year-old global engineering contracting company serving the forestry products, energy, environmental and chemical industries, he subsequently served as a representative on multiple corporate boards and associations. Most notably, Curleigh was federally appointed by Canada’s International Trade Minister to chair the board of directors of the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a crown corporation mandated to support the growth of international trade by helping Canadian exporters gain access to, and negotiate with, foreign government procurement markets – a role he held for seven years.
Additionally, Curleigh was chair of the Audit Committee for Veterans Affairs Canada, was the chair of the board of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Canada’s largest industry association, was a board member and treasurer of the Canadian Exporters Association; and a board member for NorthStar Trade Finance. He has been a visiting faculty member at the Directors College, a joint initiative between The Conference Board of Canada and McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business and Canada’s premier school of governance, where he has lectured extensively on board governance issues since the school’s inauguration.
PyroGenesis Canada is a high-tech company, and a proud leader in the design, development, manufacture and commercialization of advanced plasma processes and sustainable solutions which reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and are economically attractive alternatives to conventional 'dirty' processes.
The company has created proprietary, patented and advanced plasma technologies that are being vetted and adopted by multiple multibillion dollar industry leaders in four massive markets: iron ore pelletization, aluminum, waste management, and additive manufacturing.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com