Meridian Announces Appointment of Two Non-Executive Directors and Further Board Changes Following the AGM
Meridian Mining PLC (MNO) announced the appointment of Dr. Carlos Vilhena and Mr. Felipe Holzhacker Alves as Independent Non-Executive Directors to its Board, effective immediately following the annual general and special meeting. The changes coincide with the departure of Dr. Adrian McArthur and Mr. John Skinner from the Board. Dr. McArthur retains his role as President and subsidiary directorships, while Mr. Skinner joins the Advisory Board.
The new directors bring extensive experience in Brazilian mining finance, development, and legal and regulatory frameworks. Mr. Holzhacker Alves joins the Sustainability, Safety & Technical Committee, while Dr. Vilhena joins the Corporate Governance & Nomination Committee. Both new directors meet independence requirements under the UK Corporate Governance Code and NI 52-110.
Mr. Holzhacker Alves has over 20 years of experience in mining, finance, and business. He is the former CEO of Frontera Minerals, a company he founded in 2011, where he was responsible for the discovery and development of projects including Morro Verde, Brasil Graphite, and Capim Dourado. He was also a former board member of Trek Mining, which merged into Equinox Gold in 2017, and served as the first President of the Brazilian Commission for Resources & Reserves.
Dr. Vilhena has over 35 years of experience as a mining lawyer. He was a former partner at Pinheiro Neto Advogados for 25 years, leading the Mining and Government Relations practices. His expertise includes regulatory frameworks, permitting, M&A, land and community relations, and environmental law in Brazil. He is currently a director of TriStar Gold and serves as Secretary of SEERIL for the International Bar Association.
Dr. Adrian McArthur stepped down from the Board immediately following the AGM. He had served as a Director since 2020. Mr. John Skinner also stepped down from the Board after serving as a Non-Executive Director since 2021.
Gilbert Clark, CEO, said: "We welcome Carlos and Filipe to the Company at a time when we are changing from resource developer to future mine builder and developer. Having two proven Brazilian mining executives join our Board has greatly added to our skills sets, and importantly furthered integrating Meridian into the Brazilian mining industry."
He added: "I would like to express my gratitude to both Dr. McArthur and Mr. Skinner for their many years of contribution and guidance to the Board of Meridian."