West Wits Mining Ltd (ASX:WWI, OTCQB:WMWWF) is ushering in new leadership as managing director Jac van Heerden prepares to transition to a non-executive directorship.
The leader is stepping away from the helm to pursue a general manager opportunity with a copper, zinc and gold camp in East Africa, although his continued board presence will guide WWI through the next stage of development.
Stepping up to the plate as chief operating officer and country manager is Rudi Deysel, who has worked closely with van Heerden and the team over the last two-and-a-half years.
Deysel boasts more than two decades of operational mining experience and has been involved at the senior level at Anglo American (LON:AAL), ERG, Asanko Gold and other major miners.
The West Wits leadership team and board have full confidence that Deysel can deliver on the first stage of its Witwatersrand Basin Project, which revolves around the Qala Shallows deposit and finalising funding arrangements.
Beyond van Heerden’s transition and Deysel’s appointment, WWI has also tapped Keith Middleton to manage commercial activity at an executive level.
With his financial analysis, risk management, capital works expenditure, corporate governance and ESG experience, Middleton is poised to become a key member of the executive team moving forward.
Outside the African gold space, the executive led fellow ASX-lister American Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:ARR, OTCQB:ARRNF) as managing director, where he was responsible for exploration, operations, strategy, IR and project initiatives.
Facilitating the board and management changes, West Wits chairman Michael Quinert plans to take a more active role in day-to-day operations.
The company is looking to the future and believes it will soon be primed to release a definitive feasibility study update and bring the market up to speed on its project funding initiative.