NIGEL SUTHERLAND

Experience as Chairman of a major metal refining company; Board member of seven major mining companies in South Africa; Corporate Advisory; Senior Management roles for global resource company, including Senior Divisional Marketing Manager, Treasurer Delivered results in South Africa, Australia, UK, USA, India & Namibia BSc Engineering (Metallurgy) (University of Witwatersrand), Master of Business Administration (Cape Town) Speaks English and Afrikaans

Nigel has extensive production experience in both commissioning and operating process plants. These plants include diamonds, uranium, sulphuric acid, electrolytic zinc and gold refineries. Nigel has gained wide experience in corporate, commercial, risk management and strategic planning through his roles at Anglo American and more recently, in merchant banking. He has worked in Namibia, South Africa, USA , India and Australia and has successfully built teams made up of many different cultures. Nigel has worked with PIP since 2001.

CAREER SNAPSHOT

Nigel's work with PIP has included: 

• Reduced maintenance shutdown periods from 35 days to 25 days as a business coach in a major Australian processing plant

• Team member at large Australian mine which identified $18m of specific procurement savings and implemented $5m of these in 6 weeks.

• Developed and implemented a progressive maintenance program at a zinc processing plant

• Increased sales for a PIP-owned operation by 25% in 6 months along with introducing a number of value-added products which led to margin increases.

Highlights of Nigel's technical and production career include:

• On the ground operations during the post commissioning production ramp-up at Number 2 Diamond Plant at Consolidated Diamond Mines Namibia.

• Managing the Western Deep Levels uranium pressure leach pilot plant during all the test work.

• Responsible for production during the change over from the old diamond pan plant to new HMS plant at Finsch Diamonds.

• Responsible for commissioning the 4th fluidised bed roaster and waste heat boiler at Zincor zinc refinery.

• Responsible for changing from batch to continuous purification at Zincor.

• Responsible for commissioning Super Hot Acid Leach Plant at Zincor.

• Responsible for commissioning Electrolytic Cell House Extension at Zincor.

Successfully commissioned a number of new process plants and then ramped up production to design capacity. Set up the control systems to manage the new processes. Achieved production records at Consolidated Diamond Mines and Zincor, while retaining operations within budget. Put in place new safety and loss control programs and achieved new safety targets.

Highlights of Nigel's commercial and corporate management roles include:

• Appointment as Chairman of Rand Refinery, the largest gold refinery in the world.

• Complete renegotiation of all AngloGold's long-term sulphuric acid contracts (870000 tpa) to increase profitability of the operations.

• Responsible for rail and road transport of all sulphuric acid to customers in South Africa, Namibia , Zambia and the Congo .

• Sale of mothballed Oxygen Plant with 'take or pay' contractual commitments and subject to pre-emptive rights.

• Development of AngloGold gold hedging book to earn R1 billion from hedging over 5 years.

• Turned Rand Refinery from a co-operative cost plus structure to a profit driven business.

• On the Board of 7 major mining companies in South Africa - reviewed and
  approved capital projects, reviewed operational and financial performance and agreed strategy.

• Project managed, from concept through to sale, a commemorative gold medallion for the Cricket World Cup featuring Sachin Tendulkar and marketed in India .

• Corporate advisory work for RFC, a merchant bank focussed on the resource sector.

• Reduced Maintenance shutdown period from 35 days to 25 days as Business Coach in Maintenance Department at Boodarie Iron.

• Developed and implemented Progressive Maintenance Program  at  Cockle Creek Smelter.

EDUCATION & INTERESTS

Nigel has an MBA from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Engineering (Metallurgy) from the University of Witwatersrand .  He is married and has three children - daughter of 16 and boy girl twins of 14. His interests include mountain biking, sailing, scuba, golf and generally getting out onto the water or into the bush.