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With Sanankoro moving towards construction and production, Cora Gold is strengthening its board with operational and project-delivery experience from across West Africa’s gold industry. The company has appointed metallurgist Russell White as a Non-Executive Director, bringing more than 40 years of experience in mineral processing, project delivery and mine operations to the board as the company advances its flagship gold project in southern Mali.
White most recently served as Project Director at mineral exploration and development company Rupert Resources until its acquisition by TSX-listed gold miner Agnico Eagle Mines in June. Before that, he was Project Manager and General Manager at Toro Gold’s Mako gold mine in Senegal, where he oversaw the project through study, construction and commissioning.
Mako poured its first gold in January 2018 after being delivered ahead of schedule and under budget, with strong project safety performance. White subsequently joined former gold producer Centamin in 2020 as group projects manager, supporting the Sukari gold mine in Egypt and the company’s West African project portfolio. He managed studies and projects through development and execution until Centamin was acquired by JSE and NYSE-listed AngloGold Ashanti in November 2024.His earlier career included serving as Design, Study and Project Manager at LSE-listed Endeavour Mining, where he worked across assets in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Ghana.
Cora Chief Executive Officer Bert Monro said White’s track record was aligned with the company’s immediate priorities at Sanankoro. “Russell has demonstrated his ability to take a West African gold project all the way from feasibility study through construction to operational management and done so ahead of schedule and under budget. That is exactly the experience we need on our board as we advance Sanankoro towards construction and production,” said Monro.
The board change comes alongside the departure of Non-Executive Director Andrew Chubb, who has agreed to step down from the board but will continue supporting Cora’s development in an advisory capacity. Chubb is a partner and mining head at British investment bank Hannam & Partners. White will succeed Chubb on Cora’s compliance and corporate governance committee, with both appointments taking effect immediately.
The change gives Cora additional project execution and operational experience at a stage when Sanankoro is moving beyond development studies and towards the practical requirements of mine construction and eventual production.
