Highfield Resources Ltd (ASX:HFR) has started an international recruitment process after managing director and chief executive officer Peter Albert announced that he will step down from his current role with effect from January 31, 2020.
Albert will be returning to Australia from the company's head office in Spain for family reasons and will provide ongoing and transitional support to the project and the incoming CEO for a period as a consultant.
He joined the Highfield team in September 2016 and relocated to the head office in Pamplona to progress the flagship Muga potash development project.
“Significant contribution”
Chairman Richard Crookes said: “Over the last three years Peter has made a significant contribution to the company.
“He has built a highly capable team in Pamplona, nurtured community and stakeholder relationships and instigated value engineering of the Muga project.
“In addition, he was instrumental in the company being granted the major environmental permit for its Muga project, a positive Declaración de Impacto Ambiental (DIA), in June 2019.
“On behalf of the Board I’d like to sincerely thank Peter for his valuable contribution and achievements in building a strong platform on which we can advance the Muga project, and we wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”
International search
The HFR Board has engaged a global search firm and started an international search for an experienced CEO to lead the company and its Spanish Head Office and advance the Muga project through financing and into construction and ultimately potash production.
During this time chairman, Richard Crookes will assist and ensure a smooth leadership transition by taking on additional responsibilities temporarily, including acting as interim CEO.
Crookes is an experienced geologist and mining project financier and has been involved with Highfield as a non-executive director since 2013.
He has an intimate knowledge of the company’s exploration, technical and project activities and has more than 30 years’ experience in the resources and investment industries.
Highfield’s Muga-Vipasca, Pintanos, Izaga and Sierra del Perdón tenement areas are in the potash producing Ebro Basin in northern Spain and together cover an area of more than 335 square kilometres.