AngloGold Ashanti Gets New CEO
Accra, Ghana - The board of AngloGold Ashanti is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan (Venkat) as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. Venkat has been with AngloGold Ashanti for nine years. Based in Ghana between 1999 and 2004, he was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Ashanti Goldfields until that company's merger with AngloGold Limited in May 2004, creating what is now AngloGold Ashanti. Shortly after the merger he became Chief Financial Officer of the combined entity and joined the board in 2005. Venkat had previously been a Director of Corporate Reorganisation Services at Deloitte & Touche in London.
More recently, following the departure of the former CEO at the beginning of April 2013, Venkat has been joint interim CEO of the Company, alongside Mr. Tony O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill will remain an executive director on the board and revert to his role as Executive Vice President: Business and Technical Development. Venkat has been succeeded as CFO by Mr Richard Duffy who until now was the Executive Vice President for Continental Africa Region.
Venkat has an extensive knowledge of the Company and its international portfolio of assets, especially Ghana, as well as significant financial and capital markets expertise. In his role as CFO he oversaw funding for all of AngloGold Ashanti's operating activities, giving him a detailed knowledge of all of our mines and operating jurisdictions. He was the executive responsible for eliminating a 12Moz hedge book, generating significant value for the company, and was the key executive behind rebuilding the balance sheet through a series of successful debt financings that introduced long-term tenor and more favourable funding terms to the company's credit profile.
'We're extremely pleased to have an executive of Mr. Venkatakrishnan's calibre to lead AngloGold Ashanti through the next phase of its development,' AngloGold Ashanti Chairman Mr. Tito Mboweni, said. 'Venkat will enjoy my personal support and the full support of the board as he brings his extensive experience to complement the impressive depth of our operating and strategic talent.'
'AngloGold Ashanti has a proud history, high-quality assets and a deep pool of world class talent,' Venkat said. 'We will build on the good work done over the years in order to realise the value inherent in our portfolio, while placing a sharp focus on returns, margins and free cashflow.'