Two senior appointments to deliver portfolio optimisation and growth strategy

PERTH, Western Australia, Oct. 15, 2024 /CNW/ - Westgold Resources Limited (ASX: WGX) (TSX: WGX) (OTCQX: WGXRF) – (Westgold or the Company) is pleased to announce it has appointed mining executive, Mr Aaron Rankine, as the Company's new Chief Operating Officer with effect from 20 January 2025.

Mr Rankine is a mining engineer with more than 20 years' experience in Australia and internationally, most recently as General Manager – Operational Performance with global mining contractor, Perenti Limited. His prior experience includes senior positions at Barminco, including General Manager, Operations Manager, and Group Manager - HSE.

Mr Rankine has a Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) with Honours from the Western Australian School of Mines, a WA First Class Mine Manager's Certificate, and an Executive MBA. He brings extensive experience in managing and optimising the performance of multi-mine underground operations across gold, copper and nickel assets.

Mr Rankine said he was excited by Westgold's potential to grow.

"I chose to join Westgold because of the amazing platform that has been built over many years by the dedicated people in the business, culminating in the recent acquisition of the Southern Goldfields assets. This platform, and the team behind it, has created an opportunity to generate significant value," he said.

To enhance Westgold's project delivery capability, acting Chief Operating Officer, Mr Jacob Mesiha has been promoted to the newly created role of General Manager Projects and Operational Readiness. This role has responsibility for the delivery of all major mine development / expansion and capital projects across the portfolio.

Mr Mesiha has built his career at Westgold over 13 years and brings a wealth of operational experience gained in various mine management and general manager roles across the Murchison and Southern Goldfields assets.

Westgold Managing Director and CEO Wayne Bramwell commented:

"Westgold continues to build bench strength to deliver our growth aspirations. These two senior appointments broaden our leadership and technical capabilities and underpin our strategy to optimise and leverage our expanded asset portfolio to become a 500 – 600,000 ozpa gold producer from FY26/27.

We're delighted that Westgold has attracted a candidate of Aaron Rankine's calibre and his appointment to our leadership team. Aaron brings a track record in safety and operational performance leadership that will be essential as Westgold targets higher productivity and lower costs from our expanded portfolio of assets.

We are equally delighted with Jacob Mesiha's development and promotion to the next stage of his career, in the newly created role of General Manager - Projects and Operational Readiness.

We thank Jacob for stepping up and capably acting as our interim COO. His extensive project knowledge garnered over 13 years' experience in our operations will be instrumental in the successful delivery of our pipeline of growth and capital projects."

Forward Looking Statements

These materials prepared by Westgold Resources Limited include forward looking statements. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "believe", "forecast", "predict", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "continue", and "guidance", or other similar words and may include, without limitation, statements regarding plans, strategies and objectives of management, anticipated production or construction commencement dates and expected costs or production outputs.

Forward looking statements inherently involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements. Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and general economic conditions, increased costs and demand for production inputs, the speculative nature of exploration and project development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits and diminishing quantities or grades of reserves, political and social risks, changes to the regulatory framework within which the Company operates or may in the future operate, environmental conditions including extreme weather conditions, recruitment and retention of personnel, industrial relations issues and litigation.

Forward looking statements are based on the Company and its management's good faith assumptions relating to the financial, market, regulatory and other relevant environments that will exist and affect the Company's business and operations in the future. The Company does not give any assurance that the assumptions on which forward looking statements are based will prove to be correct, or that the Company's business or operations will not be affected in any material manner by these or other factors not foreseen or foreseeable by the Company or management or beyond the Company's control.

Although the Company attempts and has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that could cause actual results, performance, achievements or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and many events are beyond the reasonable control of the Company. In addition, the Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors outlined in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR+ or the ASX, including, in the Company's current annual report, half year report or most recent management discussion and analysis.

Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Forward looking statements in these materials speak only at the date of issue. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange listing rules, in providing this information the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward-looking statements or to advise of any change in events, conditions or circumstances.

This announcement is authorised for release to the ASX by the Board.

SOURCE Westgold Resources Limited