Mining Association of Canada elects new Chairperson: Ian Pearce of Xstrata Nickel

Pearce brings 30 years of mining experience to his new role

OTTAWA, June 20, 2012 /CNW/ - The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) is pleased to announce that Ian Pearce, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Xstrata Nickel, has been elected Chairperson of MAC for a two-year term.

Effective today, Mr. Pearce replaces Doug Horswill, Senior Vice President of Teck Resources Limited, who began his term in June 2010.

"We would like to thank Doug for his leadership over the past two years and we welcome Ian to his new role," said Pierre Gratton, MAC's President and CEO. "Ian brings three decades worth of mining expertise with him and has been actively involved in many of the Association's activities. MAC and the Canadian industry at large will surely benefit under his direction."

Mr. Pearce has been an active member of the MAC Board since 2007. He is also a member of the Executive Committee and the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) Governance Team. In these roles, he provides support and input on the Association's operations and provides guidance to MAC's TSM initiative, which works to improve member company performance in the areas of corporate social responsibility and the environment.

"It is an honour to be selected as Chairperson of the Association at such a pivotal time for the Canadian mining industry," said Mr. Pearce. "The sector is experiencing a period of growth and the future looks bright. As Chairperson, I will focus on ensuring the industry is in a position to meet its challenges, capitalize on the growth opportunities facing our sector and maintain Canada's standard of excellence in environmental and social practices."

Mr. Pearce has worked in the metallurgy and mining field both in Canada and abroad. He was appointed CEO of Xstrata Nickel following the acquisition of Falconbridge in August 2006. He previously held executive-level positions at Falconbridge in the roles of Senior Vice-President of Projects and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Falconbridge, he worked on Canadian oil sands projects, as well as metallurgical and mining projects for Fluor in Canada, Indonesia, Chile and South Africa.   Mr. Pearce sits on the Board of Directors for the Nickel Institute and the Canadian Opera Company, and is on the Advisory Board of Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100.  He was educated in South Africa and holds an engineering HND in mineral processing and a BSc from the University of Witwatersrand.

About MAC
The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry.  Its members account for most of Canada's production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal, mined oil sands and industrial minerals and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca.