Platinum group metals (PGM) and gold miner Sibanye-Stillwater has appointed Richard Cox as chief regional officer for its SA operations.
This comes as former SA chief regional officer Richard Stewart is set to take over from Neal Froneman as CEO on October 1, bringing fresh leadership to the PGM giant.
Volatile PGM prices and input cost inflation both pose challenges for Cox as he helps Stewart navigate the miner’s next growth phase.
Froneman, a renowned mining executive, had transformed the group from a local gold miner to an international precious metal player in the 12 years since its formation.
The boardroom shuffle also comes as the price of platinum and palladium have soared in recent months, ending three years of stubbornly low prices.
With platinum up 57% this year, the turnaround in PGM markets may have opened the door for Sibanye to invest in new growth opportunities. Earlier this week, the miner spent $82m (R1.45bn) on a new precious-metal refinery to expand its US recycling operations.
Cox's appointment followed an “intensive recruitment process involving both internal and external candidates,” said Froneman, who welcomed the executive in a statement on Thursday.
“His appointment highlights the quality and depth of internal leadership at Sibanye-Stillwater and validates our succession processes,” said Froneman.
Cox has been with Sibanye for nearly five years, serving as senior vice-president: strategy adviser in 2020, executive vice-president of SA gold operations in 2021 and executive vice-president of processing in the SA region from April 2024.
His career includes roles at Anglo American Platinum (now Valterra Platinum), Anglo American’s North American operations and at AngloGold Ashanti’s SA and Malian operations.
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