Resolute recruits de Crespigny

A famous family name in resources is returning to Perth with Resolute Mining announcing the appointment of James Champion de Crespigny to a new executive role.

Mr Champion de Crespigny is moving from London to take up a new role as Resolute’s general manager business development.

Reporting to chief executive John Welborn, he will be responsible for acquisitions, divestments, joint ventures and capital raisings along with market communication.

Mr Welborn said Mr Champion de Crespigny was an exceptional candidate for the role.

In his capacity as a director of Cutfield Freeman & Co, Mr Champion de Crespigny recently worked with Resolute on the strategic review of the Bibiani gold mine in Ghana.

He is the son of Robert Champion de Crespigny, who built Normandy Mining into Australia’s largest gold producer in the 1990s.

Robert Champion de Crespigny spent more than a decade in Perth with accounting firm KMG Hungerfords (now KPMG) before establishing Normandy in 1985.

He moved to Adelaide in 1988 after gaining control of Poseidon Ltd.

At its peak, Normandy had interests in the Boddington gold mine, Kalgoorlie’s Super Pit, the Golden Grove base metals mine along with the Bronzewing, Jundee and Big Bell mines.

Newmont acquired Normandy in 2002 for about $4 billion after outbidding rival suitor AngloGold.

In a coincidental twist, Normandy discovered the Martabe gold project in Indonesia in 2001.

Between 2016 and 2018, the major shareholder in that mine was Owen Hegarty’s private equity group EMR Capital.

James Champion de Crespigny worked for Sydney-based EMR during this period.

He left EMR in 2018 to join London-based Cutfield Freeman & Co, which specialises in advice on mining finance.

He plans to relocate to Perth in early September.