PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Iron-ore developer Gindalbie Metals has appointed former Rio Tinto iron-ore chief Dale Harris its new MD, succeeding outgoing MD Tim Netscher.

Gindalbie chairperson Keith Jones said on Monday the company was delighted to appoint Harris, whose iron-ore experience and tight ties with the Chinese steel industry would bode well for the iron-ore junior, which is developing the Karara joint venture project, in Western Australia.

Harris would start the handover process on October 14, and was expected to formally assume the role of MD on November 1.

The succession planning was started earlier this year after Netscher agreed to extend his contract, which ended in June, to the end of the year to ensure stability of management during the ramp-up of the 30-million-tonne-a-year Karara mine.

Prior to being CEO of Rio’s iron-ore unit, Harris held a number of senior positions within the division, including GM for the integrated planning and operations centre, GM for the West Pilbara operations and GM of asset management.

Jones said that Harris’s credentials, experience and achievements in the iron-ore sector spoke for themselves, including a distinguished career at Rio, which saw him play a key role in the expansion of the major’s iron-ore business in Western Australia, and the implementation of its technological breakthroughs at the Perth Operations Centre.

“Harris’s deep understanding of the iron-ore business, including its tightly interwoven links with China and the enormous Chinese steel industry, make him an ideal person to take the helm at Gindalbie and to lead the company and our joint venture with Ansteel as we complete the ramp-up at Karara, and start our next chapter of growth,” said Jones.

Last month, Ansteel had to step in to fund a $230-million delay at the Karara project. This was in addition to two previous cash injections by the Chinese steel partner to cover working capital requirements and to fund previous debt.

The Karara project is expected to produce between 1.5-million and 2-million tonnes of magnetite concentrate and between 1.9-million and 2-million tonnes of direct shipping ore during the six months to the end of December.