The Gold Industry Group is charting an exciting new course with the recent appointment of three industry heavyweights to its Board of Directors, bringing a wealth of experience and fresh perspectives that promise to propel the Group forward.

Late last year, the Gold Industry Group announced the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors as it looks to build upon its array of impactful programs and partnerships in 2024 - Bellevue Gold MD and CEO Darren Stralow, Gold Road Resources General Counsel and Joint Company Secretary Julie Jones, and Westgold Resources MD and CEO Wayne Bramwell.

The Group is also proud to announce Mr Bramwell has stepped into the Gold Industry Group Vice Chair role.

These strategic appointments are expected to enhance the Group's initiatives in education, sustainability, and community engagement, strengthening its leadership position and driving new growth opportunities in an evolving gold sector.

A sentiment echoed by Gold Industry Group Chair Kelly Carter, who told members at the Group’s Annual Sundowner earlier this month that the gold industry found itself in a period of “unprecedented growth and opportunity.”

“With economic conditions driving record gold prices and production volumes, the Australian gold sector has reclaimed its place in the national spotlight,” Ms. Carter said.

“It is up to us to harness this momentum wisely and to lay the foundations for sustained success. Through our continued collaboration, we can create lasting benefits not only for our industry, but for the environment, the economy, and the communities that host us.”

Mr Stralow, who has been involved in the mining industry his entire life, said the Gold Industry Group was a terrific example of collaboration and cooperation of some great companies, and to be a part of the Group’s leadership moving forward was going to be “a great experience”.

“The gold industry needs to show all stakeholders, from the public to government officials, that gold is a great contributor of wealth, jobs, and benefits for all involved, and the Gold Industry Group is an ideal conduit for that,” he said.

“The Gold Industry Group is uniquely placed to not only show that gold creates value that everyone can share with, but also to ensure that the gold mining industry has a seat at the table for key discussions that could affect everyone in the resources industry.”

— Darren Stralow

2024 is already shaping to be another huge year for the Gold Industry Group.

On the back of its biggest year to date in 2023, the Group’s National Gold Education Program, is expected to surpass last year’s record number of 6,000 students reached. There is also a growing interest among Gold Industry Group members to join the program, which is making huge strides in changing students’ perceptions of gold mining.
Gold Jobs, the Group’s employment and careers initiative, has seen a significant increase in users in 2024 as it looks to strengthen the industry’s future talent pipeline. Excitingly, female users to the platform are up 26% in the past 12 months, and now make up 47% of all users. With many new mines coming online and others expanding, there’s never been a better time for Australians to seek a career in gold.

With nearly three decades of experience in precious and base metal companies, Mr Bramwell joins the Board as Vice Chair and brings a deep knowledge of the gold sector and a passion for promoting its value to the economy.

“I’m proud of the gold industry’s contribution to Australia and passionate about telling our industry’s story to the world,” he said.

“Unbeknownst to many, Australia’s gold industry generated $25.3B in revenue in FY23. The Gold Industry Group has a tremendous opportunity to build the profile of this cornerstone industry to the wider community.”

“The gold industry is collegiate in nature. Collaboration is everything and the true power of the industry lies in using the collective strength of the many gold industry members and participants to grow our education, community and employment programs.”

— Wayne Bramwell

Mr Bramwell said he was excited to work with other Gold Industry Group members to raise awareness of the opportunities within the gold sector and to “create value for the people who work within it and the communities in which we operate.”

This commitment to community is reflected in the Group’s landmark partnership with Netball WA, West Coast Fever, and Shooting Stars, which continues to foster strong connections within the 300,000-strong netball community.

The partnership is also making incredible strides in building gold’s profile more broadly and reshaping perceptions of the industry. In the last 12 months, the Group has seen a 50% increase in the number of people who view the gold industry favourably, recognising its contributions to both sport and society.

As a proud supporter of initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion, Ms Jones said that joining the Board of an organisation that invests heavily in community initiatives like Shooting Stars and Netball WA was “incredibly exciting”.

“I am pleased to be able to enhance the visibility of career opportunities within the gold industry, particularly for women, and ensure that the education programs assist in developing knowledge and pathways for individuals to thrive in the sector,” she said.

“I look forward to contributing to fostering growth, sustainability, and inclusivity within the industry while making a tangible difference in people's lives.”

“Through netball, we can provide greater access to sports programs for underprivileged communities and leverage the partnership to champion women’s participation in sport and the workforce.”

— Julie Jones

The new Directors join a Gold Industry Group Governing Board full of experience and diverse perspectives. Together with the support of its more than 30 member organisations, the team will continue to promote Australia’s gold industry by championing long-term initiatives that grow understanding of gold’s value to the economy and community.

The Gold Industry Group GOVERNING BOARD

KELLY CARTER - CHAIR

Kelly is the Vice President: Legal and Corporate Affairs for Gold Fields. She began her legal career in the UK before moving to Perth where she practised as a commercial disputes lawyer for a number of years. Kelly's extensive career in the resources sector includes more than three years as legal counsel for Norilsk Nickel Australia and more than 10 years at Gold Fields, where she manages the legal and compliance portfolio for the Australian region.

Kelly’s experience extends across the resources cycle, having provided a broad scope of legal services in relation to both operating and non-operating assets. Kelly is a member of Gold Fields’ regional executive, with oversight and responsibility for both operational performance and regional strategy.

WAYNE BRAMWELL - Vice chair

Mr Wayne Bramwell is a metallurgist and mineral economist, experienced director and mining executive with extensive exploration, operations and corporate expertise in precious and base metal companies spanning nearly three decades. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Extractive Metallurgy, a Graduate Diploma in Business, a Master of Science in Mineral Economics and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). Wayne is currently the Managing Director of Westgold Resources Limited (ASX: WGX).

ANDREA MAXEY - DIRECTOR

Andrea has been the Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Community and Human Resources with AngloGold Ashanti Australia Ltd for 14 years. Beginning with AngloGold Ashanti in 2000, Andrea initially worked in investor relations in Australia and then the United States, before returning to Australia in 2007 to become part of the company’s regional management team.

Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, post-graduate diplomas in Journalism and Finance, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is also a Director of the Denver Gold Group.

FIONA MURFITT - DIRECTOR

Fiona is the ViP – Sustainability (HSE, Risk & Social Responsibility) for Evolution Mining. Fiona is an accomplished senior executive and change agent who delivers operational experience with deep technical competency to lead change and improve business outcomes. Her career has focused on work within high-risk operations, across the oil and gas and mining, leading transformations for organisations such as Shell, DuPont and Viva Energy.

Fiona holds a Masters in Risk and Technology, Post graduate qualification in Leadership and Transformation, and she has most recently qualified as an Executive Coach. She is also a published author in the areas of operational risk, contractor management and leadership.

CAMERON ALEXANDER - DIRECTOR

Cameron is the Manager - Business Development and Industry Research at The Perth Mint. He has more than 25 years’ experience working in the precious metals’ markets and is responsible for maintaining existing relationships and pursuing new business opportunities, while providing precious metal market analysis and commentary.

Cameron previously held the position of Director of Precious Metals Research for Refinitiv, managing a global team of analysts, and was focussed predominately on precious metal markets in South East Asia, Australasia, Middle East, and the Indian Sub-Continent.

REBECCA CIOTTI - DIRECTOR

Rebecca is the Executive Manager of Corporate Services at Northern Star Resources Limited.

She has more than 13 years’ experience working in the mining sector. She joined Northern Star in 2014 and has been part of their journey as they grew from a single-mine producer to the ASX 50 global-scale gold miner of today. Rebecca has worked in a variety of roles across corporate affairs, administration, company secretarial and most recently investor relations. She has a keen interest in the gold industry and the positive impact it has in the communities it operates in.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Science from Curtin University and has undertaken studies at the Governance Institute of Australia.

DARREN STRALOW - DIRECTOR

Mr Stralow is an experienced mining executive and qualified mining engineer with over 20 years’ industry experience. Prior to joining Bellevue he was a member of the senior management team at Northern Star Resources for over 10 years, with roles including head of operations and head of business development. He has extensive experience in strategy development and execution, building and operating modern underground mining operations, business integration and transformation, and building high performing teams.

JULIE JONES - DIRECTOR

Ms Jones is the General Counsel and Joint Company Secretary of Gold Road Resources. She is a lawyer with more than 19 years’ post-admission experience and has held senior legal, commercial, strategic and corporate governance roles with companies including Australian Strategic Materials, Matrix Composites and Engineering, Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, and Iluka Resources. Ms Jones has significant experience in contract, employment, intellectual property and mining law.

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New Gold Industry Group Board Directors share exciting vision