Eldorado Gold Provides Update on Executive Leadership Transition
Eldorado Gold Corporation (ELD) announced a significant leadership transition, confirming the retirement of CEO George Burns effective September 30, 2026, and the appointment of Christian Milau as the new President and CEO. The move marks the beginning of a broader restructuring of the company’s executive team, designed to align management responsibilities with the operational phase of key projects.
Burns will retire from his executive role but will remain on the Board of Directors. Milau will assume the position of President and CEO and join the Board on the same date. In a statement, Chair of the Board Steve Reid highlighted Burns' tenure, noting, “During his tenure, the Company has navigated a range of operational, market and jurisdictional challenges, while also achieving important milestones. Most notably, George has overseen the advancement of Skouries toward production, positioning Eldorado for its next phase of growth.”
Incoming CEO Christian Milau commented on the transition, stating, “Under his [George Burns'] leadership Eldorado has been transformed into one of the most exciting mid-tier gold producers with a strong foundation for future growth... Our focus remains on safe, disciplined execution across our operations and development pipeline, while continuing to deliver long-term value and returns for our shareholders.”
Burns reflected on his time with the company, saying, “It has been a privilege to serve as Chief Executive Officer over the past nine years... I look forward to continuing to support Eldorado in my role on the Board and to working with Christian to ensure a smooth transition and execution.”
The executive restructuring includes several key personnel changes. Frank Herbert is transitioning from EVP, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer to Senior Advisor, effective September 30, 2026, ahead of his planned retirement in Q2 2027. Tamiko Ohta has been appointed Senior Vice President, Legal and General Counsel, also effective September 30, 2026. Additionally, Paul Ferneyhough’s role has been expanded; he is now the Executive Vice President, Strategy and Chief Financial Officer, with added oversight of Corporate Development and Legal functions.
Operational responsibilities in Greece are being restructured as the Skouries project moves from construction to operations. Louw Smith is departing the company effective September 30, 2026, as the EVP, Development, Greece role is eliminated. Operational responsibility for Greece will shift to Niklas Frank, SVP Operations, Europe, who will assume single-point accountability for the region and report to COO Simon Hille.
Gordana Vicentijevic will continue to lead the strengthened projects team, overseeing major projects globally and future development activities.