Erris Resources appoints Anton du Plessis as new CEO

Du Plessis will take over from Merlin Marr-Johnson, who stood down in October to pursue "other interests".

Prior to joining Erris, du Plessis had spent time with the likes of The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, where he advised the investment outfits on natural resource companies.

Prior to that, he worked for Anglo American in a corporate finance and business development capacity.

Chairman Jeremy Martin, said: "Attracting someone of Anton's calibre, with a track record of advising leading mining companies, will be a positive addition to the team."

"He has invaluable specialist knowledge, experience and a wealth of international industry contacts, which will be of particular value as we work to build the value in Erris Resources through the development of our asset portfolio and its strategy to identify high-value opportunities."

As of 0830 GMT, Erris shares had sunk 10.45% to 6p.