Savannah Resources PLC (AIM:SAV, ETR:SAV, OTC:SAVNF) has appointed former McKinsey Partner and seasoned Portuguese chief executive, Diogo da Silveira, as independent non-executive director with immediate effect.
The lithium development company, which owns the Barroso project in northern Portugal, noted that da Silveira has been the CEO of several listed and private companies, a European non-executive director at several more, as well as being a management member of several Portuguese industrial associations and serving the French Embassy in Portugal as Conseiller du Commerce Exterieur.
Savannah has been working through the progress of securing environmental sign-off for the Barroso project, which passed the second anniversary of lodging the EIA in May and entered into an ‘article 16’ review with Portugal's environmental regulator back in July.
Matthew King, Savannah's chairman, said: "Diogo is a highly experienced business leader with extensive experience in Portugal and Europe. We look forward in particular to leveraging his expertise in the primary industry sector, via his past role with leading Portuguese forestry operator, Navigator, whose operations faces similar permitting challenges to mining companies, and in the energy transition sector, through his role as chair of Floene Energias. This appointment reinforces our role in Portugal's vital contribution to the global transition to renewable energy."
Da Silveira said he hoped to bring "energy and mobility knowledge, sustainability experience, Portuguese insights, and European perspective to the Barroso lithium project. I am really excited to be part of such an important energy transition undertaking at such a unique time."
On joining the board he will become a member of the remuneration and audit & risk committees.