Last checked at 11 Nov 2014 07:00
11 November 2014 | LSE: PDL |
Petra Diamonds Limited
("Petra" or the "Company")
Appointment of Mrs Octavia Matloa as an Independent Non-Executive Director
Petra announces the appointment of Mrs Octavia Matloa as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company with immediate effect. Mrs Matloa is also appointed as a member of Petra's Audit Committee and brings extensive financial and audit experience to the Company, as well as knowledge of the mining sector and the South African business environment.
Mrs Matloa, 38, is a chartered accountant registered with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.
She completed her articles with PwC in South Africa in 2000 before joining the Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works in the Gauteng province, first as deputy chief financial officer, followed by chief director management accounting. Since this time, Mrs Matloa has founded a number of businesses, including Tsidkenu Chartered Accountants Inc and Mukundi Mining Resources. In 2009, she was appointed by the High Court of South Africa as the insurance industry's first female curator.
Mrs Matloa served on the board of Great Basin Gold, a quoted gold mining company, between 2011 and 2013, and is currently an independent non-executive director of Village Main Reef, a Johannesburg Stock Exchange quoted platinum and gold mining company. She is currently an audit committee member of Village Main Reef, the South African National Treasury, the South African Department of Defence and Military Veterans and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).
Mrs Matloa's appointment further improves the independence of the Petra Board. The Company's Board now consists of eight members, comprising three Executive Directors (Mr Johan Dippenaar, Mr David Abery and Mr Jim Davidson), four independent Non-Executive Directors (Dr Patrick Bartlett, Mr Gordon Hamilton, Mr Tony Lowrie and Mrs Octavia Matloa) and Mr Adonis Pouroulis as Non-Executive Chairman.
Adonis Pouroulis, Chairman of Petra, commented:
"We are delighted to welcome Octavia Matloa to the Petra Board. Octavia's broad business experience and financial and audit background will further enhance the skill set of our Board. She will also be a valuable addition to our Audit Committee, which serves a very important role at Petra and whose remit is constantly evolving in line with governance developments."
Please see the Appendix for disclosures to be made pursuant to paragraph 9.6.13R(1)-(6) of the Listing Rules.
~ Ends ~
For further information, please contact:
Petra Diamonds, London | Telephone: +44 20 7494 8203 |
Cathy Malins | cathy.malins@petradiamonds.com |
Cornelia Grant | cornelia.grant@petradiamonds.com |
Buchanan (PR Adviser) | Telephone: +44 20 7466 5000 |
Bobby Morse Louise Mason | bobbym@buchanan.uk.com louisem@buchanan.uk.com |
RBC Capital Markets (Joint Broker) | Telephone: +44 20 7653 4000 |
Matthew Coakes Jonathan Hardy | matthew.coakes@rbccm.com jonathan.hardy@rbccm.com |
Barclays (Joint Broker) | Telephone: +44 20 7623 2323 |
Bertie Whitehead | bertie.whitehead@barclays.com |
Marcus Jackson | marcus.jackson@barclays.com |
About Petra Diamonds Limited
Petra Diamonds is a leading independent diamond mining group and an increasingly important supplier of rough diamonds to the international market. The Company has interests in five producing mines: four in South Africa (Finsch, Cullinan, Koffiefontein and Kimberley Underground) and one in Tanzania (Williamson). It also maintains an exploration programme in Botswana.
Petra offers an exceptional growth profile, with a core objective to steadily increase annual production to 5 million carats by FY 2019. The Group has a major resource base in excess of 300 million carats.
Petra conducts all operations according to the highest ethical standards and will only operate in countries which are members of the Kimberley Process. Petra is quoted with a premium listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker 'PDL' and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
For more information, visit the Company's website at www.petradiamonds.com.
Appendix
Full Name: Octavia Matshidiso Matloa
Mrs Matloa holds, or has held, the following directorships of publicly quoted companies in the previous five years:
Current Directorships
· Village Main Reef Limited
Previous Directorships
· Great Basin Gold Limited
Mrs Matloa is a director of Mukundi Mining Resources 3 (Pty) Limited, a private South African company, which is currently under business rescue, a form of administration, pursuant to Schedule 6 of the South African Companies Act, 71 of 2008. The process was initiated by a voluntary directors' resolution due to factors beyond the control of the company.
There are no further disclosures to be made pursuant to paragraph 9.6.13R(1)-(6) of the Listing Rules.