SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Vanadium Resources Ltd (ASX:VR8) has appointed extremely skilled mining executive and financier John Ciganek, as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer efficient from 9 January 2023.
John Ciganek will stay as a Non-Executive Director till the efficient date.
Mr Jurie Wessels, Executive Chairman of VR8 commented: “We are very happy to have obtained the services of somebody of the calibre of John Ciganek to lead the Company’s operations through the upcoming milestones of procuring debt and fairness funding, arranging appropriate off-take and attaining important objectives throughout the anticipated construction process. John’s wealth of experience, of which has included projects in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa, and his fine skillsets are eminently suited for what the Company requires on its pathway to construction and becoming a producer.
I additionally want to thank Eugene Nel, who has served as CEO for near 2 years, for his efforts in finishing the DFS in time and on budget. On behalf of the Board, I want him the better of success for the future, which can include seeing him again on the team very quickly when positions become available in constructing out the executive team.”
Mr Ciganek will replace Mr Eugene Nel, who has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer from the 9 December 2022, fulfilling his mandate of efficiently steering the Company in finishing its PreFeasibility Study (PFS) and Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS). It is anticipated that Mr Eugene Nel will apply for a place in VR8’s Owner’s Team, which will take the Steelpoortdrift Project through the required preliminary workstreams to get the project shovel-ready, after which to nameplate manufacturing and beyond.
John Ciganek brings a wealth of mining, project funding, development and operational experience to VR8. He is a certified Mining Engineer, holds a Master of Business Administration and has greater than 30 years of mining and finance experience.