Brant Hinze to be succeeded as COO by current Regional Vice-President, Russia
Toronto, Ontario, February 10, 2014 - Kinross
Gold Corporation (TSX: K; NYSE: KGC) announced today that Brant
Hinze, President and Chief Operating Officer, will retire
effective October 1, 2014. Mr. Hinze will be succeeded as Chief Operating Officer by
Warwick Morley-Jepson, currently Regional Vice-President of the
Company's Russia region.
"It has been part of Brant's plan to retire in 2014 and return
to his home and family in Washington State," said J. Paul
Rollinson, CEO. "We are very pleased that he has decided to remain
at Kinross until October 1 to ensure a smooth transition."
"Brant has played a key role in establishing a mining culture at
Kinross that is firmly grounded in operational excellence. Under
his leadership, our mines have consistently delivered strong
results, meeting or exceeding our production and cost guidance for
five consecutive quarters, while leading the industry in safety
performance. As head of our projects group, Brant has also
significantly improved our project management process," Mr.
Rollinson added.
"Brant has built an exceptionally strong global operations team,
with considerable technical bench strength, who are committed to
continuing this legacy. He has also institutionalized systems and
processes across the Company that have helped to drive consistent
results. On behalf of our Board and all of our employees, I thank
Brant for his significant contribution to Kinross," said Mr.
Rollinson.
Warwick Morley-Jepson has served as Regional Vice-President of
Kinross' Russia region since 2009. During his tenure, the Russia
region has consistently delivered strong operating results and has
been among the top performers in the Company's global portfolio. He
was also responsible for overseeing the development of the recently
commissioned Dvoinoye mine, on time and on budget. Prior to
joining Kinross, Mr. Morley-Jepson held executive positions in the
regional and corporate structures of multinational gold mining
companies, including Barrick and Placer Dome (see career profile
below).
"Warwick brings to this key position proven leadership and an
impressive record of delivering results, both at our existing
operations and new projects," said Mr. Rollinson. "He has been a
passionate champion of our Way Forward strategy, and I am confident
he will continue to build on the solid foundation of operational
excellence we have established across the company. I welcome
Warwick to our Senior Leadership Team."
About Kinross Gold Corporation
Kinross is a Canadian-based gold mining company with mines and
projects in Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Mauritania, Russia and United
States. Kinross maintains listings on the Toronto Stock Exchange
(symbol:K) and the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:KGC).
Media Contact
Steve Mitchell
Vice-President, Corporate Communications
phone: 416-365-2726
steve.mitchell@kinross.com
Investor Relations Contact
Tom Elliott
Vice-President, Investor Relations
phone: 416-365-3390
tom.elliott@kinross.com
Warwick
Morley-Jepson
Warwick Morley-Jepson has more than 35 years of experience in
the mining industry, mostly within the gold sector. He joined
Kinross Gold Corporation in October 2009 as the Regional
Vice-President for Russia.
Prior to joining Kinross, he was Chief Executive Officer of SUN
Gold, a privately-held gold mining company with interests in Russia
and Kazakhstan. Before that, he was Managing Director of Barrick
Africa and Barrick Platinum South Africa, and the General Director
of three Russian-based companies in the Barrick group. At Barrick,
he was responsible for the company's South African operations, and
for business and project development in Russia and Africa. He spent
several years with Placer Dome, leading their South African
business development efforts. Prior to joining Placer Dome, he
served as Chief Consulting Mechanical and Electrical Engineer for
the Gold Division of Johannesburg Consolidated Investments Pty
Ltd.
Mr. Morley-Jepson graduated from the faculty of Mechanical
Engineering (HNDT) at the Technicon Witwatersrand, now part of the
University of Johannesburg.