6 May 2015
Atlas Iron (ASX: AGO) is pleased to advise that Hon. Cheryl Edwardes has been appointed as a Non-executive Director effective today.
Mrs Edwardes is a fully qualified lawyer and held several senior portfolios during her distinguished career as a WA Member of Parliament. These included Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Labour Relations. She is currently Chairman of ASX-listed Vimy Resources Limited.
Mrs Edwardes’ appointment means Atlas has two females on its six-member Board. Sook Yee Tai has been an Atlas director since June 2010 and Kerry Sanderson AO was a Director for two and half years until her appointment as the Governor of Western Australia in August 2014. Mrs Edwardes has provided high-level strategic advice to Atlas since 2013 in her capacity as an employee and more recently as a solicitor. She will continue to provide this strategic advice in her new role as a Director.
Atlas Chairman David Flanagan said Mrs Edwardes’ experience would be invaluable to the Company as it continued to confront the challenges stemming from the fall in the iron ore price.“Cheryl’s skills span the business and political divide in WA, ensuring she will play a critical role in devising and implementing Atlas’ strategy to be a successful iron ore producer in a challenging environment,” Mr Flanagan said.
“When Atlas Iron re-listed on July 27, it came with a moment for women and the mining industry. As David Flanagan reassumed the chief executive’s responsibilities, former Liberal Party minister Cheryl Edwardes became chair. The only female boss of a top-500 listed company based in WA.
Atlas joins just 24 other ASX-listed companies with female chairs — a dismal 5 per cent.”
Read more about Conrad Liveris’s commentary on Women in mining: beyond skimpies, 4th of August 2015