PRAGUE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Draslovka a.s. (“Draslovka” or the “Company”), a global leader in specialty chemicals and agricultural chemicals including next generation fumigants and biocides, is pleased to announce the formation of its Advisory Board, composed of senior leaders who combine a distinguished track record in their chosen professional field along with a strong commitment to the highest standards in corporate governance and business conduct.

Draslovka has undergone a period of transformation over the past two years following a significant expansion at an international level, including the acquisitions of Chemours’ Mining Solutions Business and the exclusive rights to Glycine Leaching Technology, which offers a new and environmentally sustainable hydrometallurgical process to leach base and precious metal oxide, mixed oxide and sulphide ores.

The creation of an Advisory Board will support the Company as it enters a new phase of global growth and deepens its product reach. Drawn from across the industry spectrum, including natural resources, public service and manufacturing, the members of the Advisory Board will offer their collective expertise and deep reserves of experience to help the Executive Board as it navigates the challenges and seeks to fully exploit the strategic opportunities present in full commercialisation of Draslovka’s proprietary suite of sustainable alternatives. Chaired by Kathy Sipos, the former Chief of Staff at Barrick Gold, The Board’s role will be to consult across Draslovka’s business lines and on a wide set of corporate matters.

Petr Pudil, Chairman of Draslovka’s Board of Directors, commented: “I am truly excited to welcome the distinguished members of our new Advisory Board to the Draslovka family. Draslovka is at a critical juncture in its growth trajectory as we pursue our ambition to not only be the global leader in our markets in terms of size and technology but also lead the industry in sustainable business practices and the highest standards of corporate governance. Draslovka’s sustainable solutions have the potential to fundamentally transform industrial processes, particularly in the mining and agricultural solutions. The combined expertise of the Advisory Board will help us ensure we fully capitalise on the global opportunity that this market presents and achieve our purpose.”

Advisory Board Members

• Kathy Sipos, Advisory Board Chair, former Chief of Staff at Barrick Gold
  
  Kathy joins Draslovka as Chair of the Advisory Board. Kathy served as Chief of Staff at Barrick Gold and spent the majority of her 27-year career in the gold mining industry at publicly listed corporations, including Teranga Gold and Gabriel Resources. Most recently, Kathy was part of Barrick Gold’s transformational merger with Randgold Resources, helping further establish Barrick Gold's leading position in the gold industry.
  

• Bob Miller, Former Nevada Governor and ex-Board Member of Newmont Mining
  
  Bob is a notable statesman with a distinguished career dedicated to public service and ethical business development. He spent a large portion of his career working in the public sector and was the longest-serving Governor for the State of Nevada to date, in addition to holding a number of other official state-level government positions. He has significant Board experience with past seats, including Newmont Mining Company, America West Airlines and Zenith Insurance. He is also the past Chairman of the National Governors Association as well as past President of the National District Attorneys Association and past Chairman of the International Association of Gaming Advisors.
  

• Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Sustainable business leader, Former Minister of the Government of India
  
  Suresh has dedicated himself to developing and executing sustainable business strategies in the public sphere, having held ministerial positions across infrastructure, industry and commerce in the Indian government for more than two decades. He is an internationally recognised authority on sustainable development, leading a number of international social impact initiatives, including as the Chairman of the Global Foundation of Farmers, South Asia Chair of Global Water Partnership and President of the World Forum for Global Governance. Suresh also currently holds several academic positions, including Founding Chancellor of Rishihood University and Visiting Professor at The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics.
  

• John Rutherford Allen, United States Marine Corps four-star general (Rtd) and former commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan
  
  John Rutherford Allen is a retired US Marine Corps four-star general and former commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. John has served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defence on Middle East Security and, at the request of President Obama, served as Special Presidential Envoy to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL. John is the recipient of multiple US military and civilian agency personal and campaign awards.
  

• Radek Špicar, Vice President of Business Europe and Vice President of the Czech Confederation of Industry
  
  Currently, he serves as Vice President of Business Europe, the largest representative of European entrepreneurs and as Vice President of the Czech Confederation of Industry, a leading interest group for Czech business. Previously, he served as Deputy Vice Prime Minister for the Economy of the Czech Republic and later as Director for External Relations at Auto Škoda and Director of the Aspen Institute Central Europe think-tank. Radek is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, Trinity College. His academic work focuses on corporate social responsibility, economic diplomacy and creative industries.

About Draslovka

Draslovka Holdings a.s. (Draslovka) is a leading supplier of speciality chemicals for the mining and agricultural sectors. Draslovka’s product portfolio includes innovative alternative solutions to legacy products.

Draslovka’s portfolio includes its proprietary Glycine Leaching Technology (GLT), a technology that enables the most environmentally sustainable and cost-effective production of precious and critical metals, including gold, copper, nickel and cobalt. GLT is revolutionary as it makes uneconomic assets viable, increases mine life, reduces the amount of toxic chemicals required and decreases opex. Barrick Gold is rolling out Draslovka’s GLT across several of its mines around the world.

Draslovka produces EDN^TM, BLUEFUME^TM and eFUME^TM, ozone-friendly and environmentally sustainable alternatives to methyl bromide and sulfuryl fluoride, used for fumigation and pest control. Draslovka is also the world’s largest producer of sodium cyanide, a necessary component in critical mineral processing.

Based in the Czech Republic, Draslovka is a family-owned business that has been dedicated to CN chemistry innovation, sustainability and customer service for more than 110 years. Recently, it has grown due to inorganic growth such as the acquisition of Chemours’ mining business unit in the US, the purchase of Mining & Process Solutions in Australia and the agreement to purchase Sasol’s sodium cyanide business in South Africa. Oaktree Capital Management has invested US$150 million to fund Draslovka’s next growth stage to become the leading global supplier of speciality chemicals to mining companies and the agricultural sector.

Contacts

FTI Consulting

Viktor Pomichal / Ariadna D. Peretz

Tel: +44 (0) 7890 417764

Email: [email protected]