Alba promotes senior geologist to COO position

The AIM-traded firm said it was not a board position.

It said Austin had “significant” management and operational experience in a career over four decades across a range of commodities, but with a particular focus on gold.

His experience, prior to establishing his own mining consultancy firm, included being a non-executive director at Central Rand Gold from 2015 to 2017, being group geologist for Goldplat and chief executive officer of its subsidiary Kilimapesa Gold in Kenya from 2007 to 2013, being vice-president of exploration for Mano River Resources between 2006 and 2007, and being senior exploration geologist for Placer Dome Exploration Africa-Eurasia from 2005 to 2006.

“I am delighted that our senior geologist Mark Austin has agreed to take up a full-time position with Alba as our chief operating officer,” said chairman George Frangeskides.

“Mark has been instrumental in the swift progress that has been made at Clogau over the past months.

“He comes with a huge amount of experience working for major mining companies, including hands-on experience in managing all aspects of the development of a gold mine in Africa from exploration through to the building of a processing plant and the ultimate export and sale of gold bars.”

At 1407 GMT, shares in Alba Mineral Resources were down 1.53% at 0.45p.