Pathfinder adds two new faces amid raft of personnel changes

Pathfinder Minerals’ shares stormed on Friday after it appointed Simon Farrell and Scott Richardson Brown as non-executive co-chairman and non-executive director respectively in a slew of board changes.

The natural resources firm, which also appointed Strand Hanson Limited as nominated & financial adviser and broker, welcomed Farrell and Richardson after chief executive Nick Trew moved to the role of executive director and finance director Robert Easby stepped down to continue as company secretary and to oversee Pathfinder’s finances.

Trew was the target of an attempted boardroom coup in March when activist investor Richard Jennings accused Pathfinder’s bosses of misleading the stock market by giving an unrealistic view of a long-running battle with a former business partner over ownership of a minerals prospect in Mozambique.

Newly appointed non-executive co-chairman Farrell has more than three decades of experience in senior management and board roles, having served as non-executive director of Kenmare Resources and non-executive chairman of Global Resource Investment Trust.

Chartered accountant Brown, meanwhile, began his career at Coopers & Lybrand (later PricewaterhouseCoopers), before becoming partner in the corporate broking and finance division of Oriel Securities.

Since then, he has held directorships at a number of AIM-traded companies in the natural resources sector.

Pathfinder’s shares were up 17.86% at 1.27p at 1213 BST.