16 February 2018

Changes to Board of Directors

Whitehaven Coal Limited (ASX: WHC) has announced changes to the Company’s Board of Directors.

Christine McLoughlin has retired as a Director of Whitehaven. Christine joined the Whitehaven Board in May 2012 and has served almost six years on the Board. Whitehaven has benefitted from Christine’s extensive experience, especially in the areas of Remuneration, Health, Safety, Environment and Community and Corporate Governance.

Christine McLoughlin said: “It has been an honour to serve as a Director since 2012 following the merger with Aston Resources. In recent years, Whitehaven Coal has gone from strength to strength. With a world-class management team, the Company has overcome many challenges in building and developing two Tier One mines – Maules Creek and Narrabri.

“Whitehaven’s production has quadrupled in the past five years from 5Mtpa to more than 20Mtpa. As a result, Whitehaven is now Australia’s leading independent coal company.

“It has been a privilege to serve on the Board and I will continue to be a very interested shareholder in the years to come. The company is in a very strong position and I wish the CEO, Paul Flynn and the management team well as Whitehaven enters its next phase of growth.”

Whitehaven Chairman Mark Vaile said “the Board would like to thank Christine for her significant contribution to the Company during the six years that she served as a Director and wishes her well in her future endeavours.

Joining the Board as a new independent non-executive Director is Fiona Robertson.

Fiona has extensive experience in the resource industry, having worked as a senior executive and in non-executive director for a number of ASX listed mining companies.

Whitehaven Chairman Mark Vaile said “we are delighted to welcome Fiona to the Board as an independent non-executive Director. Fiona’s experience in the mining industry especially in senior financial roles, will add significant skills and insight as Whitehaven continues on its growth path as Australia’s leading independent coal company.

With the above changes to the Directors of Whitehaven there will follow a number of changes to the members of the various Board Committees. Fiona will be appointed to the Audit & Risk Management and the Remuneration Committees. Other changes include John Conde being appointed the Chair of the Remuneration Committee, Tony Haggarty being appointed Chair of the Audit & Risk Management Committee and Julie Beeby being appointed Chair of the Health, Safety, Environment and Community Committee.

Fiona Robertson MA (Oxon), FAICD, MAusIMM

Fiona is a practicing non-executive director specialising in the resources sector. She has over 40 years’ experience in corporate finance, including 30 years working with emerging and mid-tier resource companies as a banker, CFO and non-executive director, successfully guiding growth-oriented resource companies through the transition from entrepreneurial junior to ASX 200 producer.

After graduating with a degree in geology, Fiona joined The Chase Manhattan Bank in London. Her early career included corporate banking, risk management and resource industry financing roles over 14 years with Chase in London, New York and Sydney, followed by 8 years with gold explorer and producer, Delta Gold Limited as CFO. Fiona then transitioned to a more flexible (family friendly) role as consulting CFO to various emerging ASX-listed mining and oil and gas companies. This led to her appointment as a non-executive director of upstream oil and gas explorer and producer, Drillsearch Energy Limited in 2009.

In her CFO and NED roles Fiona has been involved in projects in Australia, Asia, Africa and the USA.
Currently, she is a non-executive director of ASX-listed Heron Resources, which is developing the Woodlawn Mine in NSW.

Fiona was active member of the AusIMM’s national WIMnet committee from 2012 to 2017 and continues to play a role in co-ordinating WIMnet’s very successful mentoring program in NSW.

Recently Fiona was named 2017 Gender Diversity Champion in Australian Resources by WIRNA (Women in Mining and Resources National Awards), and 2017 Gender Diversity Champion in NSW Mining in the NSW Minerals’ Council’s Women in Mining Awards.

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