JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Gold Fields long-serving CFO Paul Schmidt, who is also an executive director of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed gold mining company, is to proceed on early retirement, the company stated in a stock exchange announcement on Tuesday.

Although his stepdown is effective from April 30, Schmidt will remain in Gold Fields’ employ until June 30.

In the meantime, Alex Dall, currently Gold Fields VP corporate finance, has been appointed as interim CFO with effect from May 1, pending the appointment of a permanent CFO and executive director.

The audit committee has confirmed Dall as being suitably qualified with the appropriate experience and expertise to assume the interim role.

Schmidt, who was appointed CFO at the start of 2009 and joined the board in the same year, was financial controller from 2003 after joining Gold Fields in 1996.

With the process to appoint the new CFO in its final stages, Gold Fields will make an announcement as soon as negotiations have been finalised.