Loucas Pouroulis, the founder of Johannesburg- and London-listed mining and metals group Tharisa will, from October 1, become founding chairperson emeritus of the company, while Carol Bell will succeed him as chairperson.
Tharisa points out that Pouroulis has worked in the South African mining sector for more than six decades and that his contribution to the chrome sector was recognised when he received the Lifetime Award at the 2019 South African Chrome Industry Dinner and Awards Ceremony.
Under his leadership, Tharisa developed from a greenfield project into a large-scale, integrated producer of platinum group metals (PGMs) and chrome concentrates, listed on the JSE in 2014 and on the LSE in 2016.
His leadership shaped the group’s integrated mine-to-market model, the development of the Tharisa mine, on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa, and its expansion from a South African operation into a multi-asset, multi-jurisdictional mining group.
“Building Tharisa from a greenfield project into an integrated, multigenerational producer of PGM and chrome concentrates has been one of the great privileges of my career. It continues a journey in Southern African mining that began more than six decades ago and has always been driven by a belief in identifying mineral assets with unrealised potential, building capable teams and creating enduring businesses around them. Securing Karo Platinum [in Zimbabwe] through many years of perseverance positions Tharisa to become a multi-asset, multi-jurisdictional group for generations to come.
“Good governance means planning succession well before it is needed and I am delighted to hand the chairmanship to Carol, who knows this Board and this business deeply. I remain fully committed to Tharisa and look forward to supporting Carol, [CEO Phoevos Pouroulis] and the team as founding chairperson emeritus,’ Loucas Pouroulis comments.
“I am honoured to be asked to serve as chairperson of Tharisa and to follow on from Loucas, whose vision created the company. Tharisa has a long-life asset base, a clear growth pipeline and a strong executive team. My priority is to lead a board that holds itself to the highest governance standards and supports management in delivering the underground transition at the Tharisa mine and brings Karo Platinum into production in a sustainable way to create long-term value for all stakeholders,” Bell adds.
Further, nonexecutive director David Salter will take on the role of deputy chairperson from October 1, while COO Michelle Taylor has been appointed chief corporate and commercial officer and Tharisa Minerals Operations executive Roy Murley has been appointed COO.
These changes conclude a structured succession process at Tharisa, further establishing independent leadership of the board and bolstering the executive team for the group’s next phase of growth.
“On behalf of the executive team, I thank Loucas for his leadership, guidance and mentorship, and for the vision and determination that has brought Tharisa to where it is today. His contribution extends well beyond the group: over more than six decades, he has helped establish and develop mining businesses across South Africa’s gold, diamond, PGM, coal and chrome sectors, and his contribution to chrome was recognised with the industry’s Lifetime Award in 2019.
“I warmly welcome Carol as chairperson of the board and have witnessed her clarity and independence over many years as lead independent director. Roy’s operational depth will be central as we take the Tharisa Mine underground and bring Karo Platinum into production. Michelle has been instrumental in building Tharisa’s operations since 2009, and her new role sharpens our focus on commercialisation, markets, customers and capturing more value from every tonne we mine,” says Phoevos Pouroulis. – (Mining Weekly)
