Santiago, Chile - August 21, 2014, Santiago, Chile - Antofagasta plc, a copper producer, announces that the executive chairman of the company, Jean-Paul Luksic, will become non-executive chairman, effective September 1, 2014.
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Mr. Luksic has more than 20 years of experience with Antofagasta. Mr. Luksic has been a director of the Company since 1990 and was appointed Executive Chairman in 2004.
Prior to his appointment as Chairman he was Chief Executive Officer of Antofagasta Minerals, in which capacity he oversaw the development of the Los Pelambres and El Tesoro mines.
He holds a B.Sc. degree in management and science from the London School of Economics.
He is Chairman of the Consejo Minero, the industry body representing the largest international mining companies operating in Chile, and is a non-executive director of Quinenco S.A. and other listed companies in the Quinenco group including Banco de Chile and Sociedad Matriz SAAM S.A.
In addition the Board has appointed Diego Hernández, who is currently Chief Executive Officer of the group's mining division, Antofagasta Minerals S.A., as Chief Executive Officer of the Company with effect from the same date.
Mr. Hernández joined the group as Chief Executive Officer of Antofagasta Minerals S.A. in 2012.
He served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Corp Nacional del Cobre de Chile from May 19, 2010 to June 1, 2012. He served as President of Base Metals Customer Sector Group of BHP Billiton Ltd. and BHP Billiton Plc from March 31, 2004 to May 18, 2010. Mr. Hernández Cabrera was responsible for all aspects of BHP Billiton's Base Metals business including strategy, operations and project development.
He served as Development Manager of Manto Verde and Santa Barbara Copper Projects. He served as President of Consejo Minero (Chilean Chambers of Mines) from 2000 to 2001. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Cia Minera Tres Cruces. From 1996 to 2001, Mr. Hernández served as Executive President and Chief Executive Officer of Cia Minera Dona Ines de Collahuasi. He served as Head of External Affairs (Government relations) at BHP Billiton Plc since January 2003.
Before joining BHP Billitonas, he served as the Senior Commercial Partner at the law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler. His previous positions include President and Chief Executive Officer of CompanÃa Minera Collahuasi, Technical Director of Rio Tinto Brazil, Chief Executive Officer of Minera Mantos Blancos and a number of Management roles in Anglo American South America.
Mr. Hernández served as Executive Officer-Non ferrous Minerals Area at Vale S.A. since 2002. He also served as Executive Director of Cia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD), where he was responsible for its Non Ferrous metals division.
Mr. Hernández serves as a member of the Strategic Advisory Board to The University of Melbourne Brazil and a number of Law School's Graduate Program, Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of management roles in Anglo American South America.
He served on Scholarship Advisory Board, a member of the Takeovers Panel (Australia), Australasia, a member of the Markets Policy Group of that Institute, and a member of the Law Institute of Victoria, a member of the General Counsel 100 (UK) and a member of the Corporate Counsel Advisory Committee of the Metropolitan Corporate Counsel. ■