JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The board of AngloGold Ashanti on Tuesday announced the appointment of Alberto Calderon as the new CEO of the gold mining company, effective September 1.

Mining Weekly can report that Calderon has more than two decades of executive leadership experience in the global mining sector.

CEO of commercial explosives manufacturer Orica until March of this year, Calderon was previously a senior executive at global mining company BHP, where his roles included chief commercial officer and CEO of Aluminium, Nickel and Corporate Development; as well as CEO of Cerrejón, the Colombian coal mining company.

Christine Ramon will remain as interim CEO until Calderon takes up his new position, before resuming her role as AngloGold CFO.

AngloGold chairperson Maria Ramos expressed delight following a comprehensive global search.

Ramos expressed confidence in having the right person to lead the company forward and, drawing on his huge leadership experience in the resources sector across a variety of geographies, realise what she described as AngloGold’s outstanding potential,

The CEO-designate described AngloGold as bringing together a high-quality portfolio and a strong commitment to deliver social, environmental and shareholder value that he said he relates to strongly on a personal level.

“I think the company has an exciting future and I look forward to working with the board and the AngloGold Ashanti team around the world to deliver on this potential,” Calderon stated in a media release.

Ramos extended the gratitude of the board to Ramon for her tireless commitment through a particularly tumultuous period globally, describing her leadership as being critical in coordinating an effective response to the pandemic, keeping the company focused on its strategy and maintaining a strong financial position.