Hawsons Iron Ltd (ASX:HIO) has tapped financial market expert Jeremy Kirkwood as new non-executive director of the board, adding his wealth of corporate strategy and investment banking experience to the company’s expertise.
Kirkwood fills a vacancy left by the recent retirement of Dave Woodall, at a pivotal point in the planned development of Hawson’s namesake high-grade magnetite project near Broken Hill in New South Wales.
Previously, Kirkwood has served as director on a range of public, private and not-for-profit company boards, and now sits as chair of ASX-listed Joyce Corporation Ltd (ASX:JYC) (JYC), and non-executive director of ASX-listed Talisman Mining Ltd (ASX:TLM) (TLM).
“High calibre and experienced director”
“We are fortunate to have attracted such a high calibre and experienced director as Jeremy at this critical point in the company’s development, as work associated with our strategic review action plan nears completion,” Hawsons Iron executive chair Bryan Granzien said.
“His financial markets expertise and guidance will prove invaluable as we pursue our subsequent goal of commencing a modified 11 million tonnes per annum bankable feasibility study (BFS) for the Hawsons Iron Project in the September quarter.”
Granzien added that Kirkwood’s appointment materially progressed the board’s planned refresh of skill set and composition.
“I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the Hawsons’ directors in the interests of shareholders and all stakeholders to bring this significant, world-class mining project into production,” Kirkwood said.
Hawsons Iron Project
The Hawsons Iron Project sits about 60 kilometres southwest of Broken Hill, boasting potentially one of the highest-grade iron products in the world at 70% iron content.
The company says the project is among the world’s leading undeveloped high-quality iron ore concentrate and pellet feed projects.
Leading research firm Wood Mackenzie in the second quarter of the 2019 financial year rated the project one of the world's best high-grade iron ore development projects, excluding replacement or expansion projects owned by the established miners.