WINDHOEK - The chairperson of the board of directors of Rössing Uranium Limited, Foibe Namene, has confirmed the appointment of Richard Storrie as the new managing director of Rössing Uranium Limited as from October 29, 2018.  

Storrie joins Rössing from Rio Tinto Serbia where he successfully led the Jadar project over the last five years. The Jadar project in Serbia is a significant, world-class lithium-borate resource. Richard played a significant role in leading the team in establishing a strong safety record and to better understand the orebody and the project’s overall technical and economic viability.  

He has over 20 years’ international mining experience and has worked for Rio Tinto in its top tier open-pit and underground operations in both developing and first world countries around the world. Storrie’s mining career has taken him to Alaska, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Mongolia, Serbia and Namibia. This includes his first international assignment with Rio Tinto in 1997 working at Rössing as the load and haul, and grade control engineer. 

“I am confident that under his leadership we’ll be in excellent hands to further build on our five priorities of safety, people, partnerships, growth and cash,” said the chairperson. 

Rössing’s current managing director, Werner Duvenhage, said he will ensure a thorough transition to Storrie before taking up another position in Rio Tinto. 

Namene yesterday told Rössing employees today that Duvenhage accepted the position of managing director at Rio Tinto Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) in South Africa. He will be transitioning to RBM later this month. The Rössing chairperson congratulated the current MD, saying: “Werner’s appointment to the managing director role at RBM is testimony to his leadership capability and consistent with the results he has achieved during his time at Rössing.” 

RBM is South Africa’s largest mineral sands producer and beneficiation company. The company was formed in 1976 to mine the vast mineral-rich sands of the northern KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, and produces predominantly rutile, zircon, titania slag, titanium dioxide feedstock and high purity iron.