Australian Strategic Materials Ltd appoints Rowena Smith as CEO
July 22, 2022
Australian Strategic Materials Limited (ASM) has appointed Rowena Smith as its CEO following the departure of former Managing Director David Woodall.
Smith has acted as ASM’s Chief Operating Officer since beginning with the company in 2021. During this time, she has led ASM’s critical mineral & rare earths Dubbo Project team and overseen the construction and commissioning of ASM’s first high-purity metals plant in South Korea.
“The board is delighted to appoint Ms Smith as CEO,” stated Ian Gandel, ASM chair. “She has demonstrated she is a highly capable leader, with extensive experience and an impressive track record in the mining sector.”
Smith has almost three decades of global mining experience in various senior roles including strategy, commercial, operations and ESG. Prior to joining ASM, Smith was South32’s Chief Sustainability Officer and VP – Supply, leading teams across Australia, South Africa, Mozambique, Colombia and the United States.
Smith has also held roles with Rio Tinto and BHP for Nickel West, including as Head of Resource Planning & Development and Projects, Manager Strategy and Acquisitions, and General Manager Kwinana Nickel Refinery.
“I am excited to be taking up the leadership of ASM through this next phase of its development, particularly as we seek to progress our Dubbo Project and supply industry with the high-tech metals vital for a sustainable energy future,” Smith stated. “This is a crucial time for our industry, and for Australia, to claim its place on the world stage with critical minerals and rare earths projects like Dubbo, which can offer quality and reliable, supply alternatives to a currently heavily monopolised and unstable global market.”
