Meet the new boss of Hudbay – the same as the old boss.
The board of Flin Flon’s biggest employer named Peter Kukielski as its full-time president and chief executive officer Jan. 22. Kukielski joined Hudbay’s board of directors in May 2019 and was appointed as the company’s interim president and CEO in July 2019.
“I’m honoured that the board has given me their full confidence to serve as Hudbay’s CEO,” Kukielski was quoted as saying in a press release.
“Hudbay has a high quality portfolio of operating assets and growth opportunities and we are well positioned to continue to unlock value within our own portfolio. Our management team is second to none in their ability to explore, develop and operate, as well as in their strong relationships with the communities in which we operate. We will continue to focus on being a leading base metals mining company to the benefit of all of our stakeholders.”
A mining executive for the past three decades, Kukielski was previously the president and CEO of Nevsun Resources, a Canadian-based mining company that operated mines in Serbia and Eritrea. The company was purchased by Chinese company Zijin Mining in 2018. Before joining Nevsun, Kukielski served in high-ranking positions with other mining companies, including ArcelorMittal, Falconbridge, Teck Resources and Anemka Resources.
Kukielski’s full-time appointment is a lingering effect of the spat between Hudbay and Waterton Global Resource Management, one of the company’s largest investors, last year. After Waterton publicly disputed the company’s policies, the group recommended its own slate of candidates for Hudbay’s board. After a threat of legal action, Hudbay named three Waterton candidates to its board – Kukielski, Daniel Muniz Quintanilla and David Smith – as part of an agreement between the two groups.
Kukielski replaces former Flin Flon resident Alan Hair as the company’s president and CEO.
Hudbay previously named Stephen Lang, former CEO and chairman for Centerra Gold, as the company’s board chair last October. Previous board chair Alan Hibben resigned his post, but stayed on the company’s board in a move BNN Bloomberg said was part of a settlement agreement with Waterton.
