Georgian Mining Corp (LON:GEO) have today announced the appointment of Mr. Anthony (Tony) Frizelle as Non-Executive Chairman and Mr. Laurence (Laurie) Mutch as Non-Executive Director. Tony Frizelle has over 40 years’ of experience in natural resources, investment banking, merchant banking and commodity trading, and Laurie Mutch has over 40 years’ experience in the natural resources and energy sectors.
These appointments endorse the opportunity that the Kvemo Bolnisi Copper-Gold Project, and the Company’s broader Georgian asset base presents the Company, both in terms of the delivery of near term, low cost copper and gold production and to provide considerable exploration and development prospects. Non-Executive Director Roderick McIllree will be stepping down from the board to focus on his other business interests while Non-Executive Chairman Michael Hutchinson is retiring.
Tony Frizelle has previously held senior positions at Anglo American Corporation, Phillip Brothers Inc/Salomon Inc – a commodity merchant company focused on physical trading, asset acquisition and development where he was Managing Director, and at Brascan Group and Rand Mines. Tony was the Founder and is Managing Director of Resource Management & Finance Co Ltd (“RMF”), a boutique resource advisory and management group providing strategic support for junior companies in the acquisition of quality resource projects in emerging markets. Companies supported or co-founded by RMF include Mutual Resources, Golden Knight, Pan African Resources, NiCo, Nautical Petroleum, Jubilee Platinum and Coal Resources Corp. Tony served as Chairman or Managing Director of several of these companies.
RMF has also acted as strategic advisor to major international resource groups on acquisitions and strategies to enter emerging markets. RMF initiated and advised on the acquisition of the Tarkwa Gold Mine by Goldfields SA from the Government of Ghana and secured a participating interest for Mutual Resources. This interest was subsequently acquired by Iamgold and sold to Goldfields for US$667 million. Tarkwa produced approximately 700,000 oz/au in 2014.
Laurie Mutch is an international management consultant with over 40 years’ experience in the resources and energy sectors. He was formerly with the Royal Dutch/Shell Group and on the Board of Shell International Gas & Power, as Executive Director for Business Development. Laurie was previously Finance and Planning Director of Shell International Gas and Shell Coal International, and was principal adviser on the coal industry to the International Energy Agency in Paris. Prior to his retirement from Shell he was Group Chief Information Officer and on the Microsoft and Dell Enterprise Advisory Boards. He is currently a Non-Executive director of Quadrise Fuels International and Chairs the audit committee.
Georgian Mining Corp Managing Director Greg Kuenzel, said, “Both Tony and Laurie bring great industry knowledge and banking experience to GEO which will prove invaluable as we expand our resources at the Kvemo Bolnisi Project, deliver initial production and evaluate new opportunities. We thank Rod and Michael for all their efforts on behalf of GEO over the years and we wish them well for their future endeavours. Kvemo Bolnisi is shaping up as a significant copper-gold project and we look forward to working with such eminent resource sector figures at GEO to build shareholder value.”
