Mining Press
El productor de plata norteamericano Coeur d'Alene Mines nombró a Mitchell Krebs como presidente y CEO de la compañía, anunció la minera el viernes pasado.
Krebs fue anteriormente director financiero (CFO) de la minera y asumirá su nueva tarea de forma inmediata. El ejecutivo reemplazará a Dennis Wheeler quien renunció el 11 de julio luego de estar en el cargo desde 1986.
Coeur tiene minas en México, Bolivia, Argentina, Australia y EE.UU., y espera producir 20.000.000 de oz de plata y 250.000 oz de oro en 2011. En el país opera Mina Martha en Santa Cruz más una serie de proyectos entre los que se destaca Joaquín. En este proyecto, bajo un joint venture junto a Mirasol, Coeur lleva adelante un Estudio de Factibilidad que le otorga una participación del 61% del yacimiento. Según los últimos estudios, Joaquín tiene 19.600.000 de oz de plata en la categoría indicadas y 47.900.000 oz de plata bajo la categoría inferidos.
Mina Martha, uno de los activos de Coeur en Argentina
Además, la minera nombró a Robert Mellor como presidente no ejecutivo del consejo de directores, también en reemplazo de Wheeler, quien trabajará con la empresa como consultor hasta julio de 2012 para facilitar la transición.
“Hemos sido afortunados de haber tenido a Dennis sirviendo en nuestra empresa de 83 años como un CEO dedicado y constante durante casi 25 años y director durante 33 años”, comentó Mellor en un comunicado.
“Su carrera estelar impulsó a Coeur, un productor de plata en Idaho, a través del difícil período de precios de la plata bajos en los años ‘80 y ‘90 para convertirla en la minera más grande con base en Estados Unidos, con tres minas de oro y plata de clase mundial y de larga vida que generan una producción e ingresos récord” completó Mellor.
Actualmente, Coeur opera las minas de oro y plata San Bartolomé en Bolivia, Palmarejo en México y la mina de oro Kensington en Alaska, Estados Unidos. Además, la compañía espera la pronta puesta en marcha de Rochester, en Nevada (Estados Unidos), considerada su buque insignia por mucho tiempo.
Krebs, que continuará en el papel de director de finanzas, se unió a la compañía en 1995.
EL PRESS RELEASE
Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation announced today that Mitchell J. Krebs has been appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. In addition, the Board of Directors also elected Mr. Krebs as a director and Robert E. Mellor as non-executive Chairman of the Board.
Messrs. Krebs and Mellor are succeeding Dennis E. Wheeler, who resigned from Coeur as President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors on July 11, 2011. The appointments follow an exhaustive internal and external search conducted by the Board of Directors as part of the Company's succession planning.
Mr. Mellor said, "As an already proven and respected member of Coeur's senior management team, the Board is confident Mitch will guide the company to greater success. Mitch has been instrumental in Coeur's growth and re-positioning over the past several years. He has demonstrated leadership in value-enhancing initiatives during his 16 years at Coeur. These include leading the significant reduction in short and long-term debt, restructuring of the balance sheet and timely financings to facilitate the construction of our platform of new silver and gold mines. His comprehensive understanding of Coeur's operations and a competitive industry makes him uniquely qualified to take Coeur to the next level."
Mr. Wheeler will continue to serve the Company as a consultant until July 2012 in order to facilitate a smooth transition and to capitalize on his vast experience and in-depth knowledge of the company. Mr. Mellor said, "We have been fortunate to have had Dennis serving our 83-year-old Company and its shareholders as a dedicated and steadfast CEO for nearly 25 years and a director for 33 years. His stellar career built our Company from a small Idaho silver producer through the challenging period of low silver prices in the 1980s and 1990s to the largest U.S.-based primary silver producer with three new world-class, long-lived silver and gold mines, which are generating record production, revenues and cash flow. Dennis also has been a leading spokesman and advocate for the mining industry, a director of the National Mining Association and the World Gold Council and former President of the Silver Institute. We thank Dennis for his many contributions to Coeur."
Mr. Krebs was previously the Company's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and will continue to serve as CFO. During his tenure with Coeur, Mr. Krebs has held various positions in the corporate development department, including Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. Since March 2008, Mr. Krebs has held the position of Chief Financial Officer and also has been responsible for the Company's corporate development and investor relations activities. As CFO, Mr. Krebs led debt reduction activities and over $1 billion in capital financings to fund the construction of the three mines. He also facilitated over $1.3 billion of acquisitions and divestitures during his time at Coeur. Hejoined Coeur in 1995 after spending several years in the investment banking industry in New York. Mr. Krebs holds a BS in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard University.
Mr. Mellor was previously the independent Lead Director for the Company and serves on the executive and compensation committees and is the chairman of the nominating and governance committee. He has served as a director of Coeur since 1998. Mr. Mellor is the retired Chairman, CEO and President of Building Materials Holding Corporation. He is a long-time director of The Ryland Group, Inc. and Monro Muffler/Brake, Inc.
With Mr. Krebs continuing as CFO, Elizabeth M. Druffel continues as Chief Accountant and, upon Mr. Krebs' appointment to CEO, became the Company's principal accounting officer.
*La información y las opiniones aquí publicados no reflejan necesariamente la línea editorial de Mining Press y EnerNews
