Atlas makes board changes

Atlas Iron has announced a raft of board changes, including the appointment of former state government tourism boss Stephen Wood and National Australia Bank executive Spiro Pappas.

The announcement comes less than a week after Hancock Prospecting secured 90 per cent of Atlas, allowing Gina Rinehart’s company to commence compulsory acquisition.

Mr Pappas has been appointed as non-executive chairman, while Mr Wood, along with Hancock executive director Tad Watroba and geologist Ian Plimer will become non-executive directors.

Mr Pappas served as executive general manager at NAB for the past nine years, and previously served as a managing director at Dutch bank ABN AMRO for 11 years.

Former Roy Hill Holdings executive Sanjiv Manchanda has also been appointed as chief executive of Atlas, replacing managing director Cliff Lawrenson.

Mr Manchanda has previously served as head of project development for Hancock Prospecting.

He was also a chief operating officer at Roy Hill during ramp-up and completion of the Roy Hill project.

As part of the transition, Eugene Davis, Alan Carr and Cheryl Edwardes have also resigned.

Mr Wood was sacked from his previous role as the director general of the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation after the government said it was not satisfied with his management of the tourism portfolio.

He previously spent six years as director general of the former department of state development, and before that worked for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

Mr Watroba has been an executive director for Hancock since 1991.