Sierra Metals Announces Appointments of CEO Ernesto Balarezo and CFO José Fernández-Baca
31 May 2023 - 8:50PM
Business Wire
Sierra Metals Inc. (TSX: SMT) (“Sierra Metals” or
the “Company”) announced today that it has appointed Ernesto
Balarezo to Chief Executive Officer and José Fernández-Baca to
Chief Financial Officer, both of whom had been previously serving
on an interim basis.
“The Sierra Metals Board of Directors is very pleased to secure
Mr. Balarezo and Mr. Fernández-Baca as CEO and CFO of the Company,”
said Oscar Cabrera, Chair of Sierra Metals’ Board of Directors.
“Both accepted their interim roles at a challenging time for the
Company and demonstrated tremendous leadership in stabilizing and
optimizing our operations. We believe their continued service to be
instrumental to the successful completion of Sierra Metals’
turnaround and the implementation of the long-term growth plan they
have put in place.”
Since assuming their interim roles, Mr. Balarezo and Mr.
Fernández-Baca have led a turnaround at Sierra Metals. Their key
accomplishments have included: a shift in the corporate culture
with a renewed emphasis on safety and a more “hands-on” approach to
operations; implementation of infrastructure improvements at the
Yauricocha and Bolivar mines; the streamlining of operations to
reduce costs; the successful negotiation of a refinancing agreement
with the Company’s lenders; significant increases in production
from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023; and
the initiation of a permitting process at Yauricocha to enable
access to higher-grade ore bodies.
Ernesto Balarezo, CEO and Director
Mr. Balarezo was appointed as Interim CEO and director of Sierra
Metals on November 28, 2022. He will be nominated for re-election
to the Board of Directors at the Company’s annual and special
meeting of shareholders to be held on June 28, 2023.
Mr. Balarezo’s career spans over three decades with leading
companies in the mining, cement and services industries, including
as Executive Vice President for the Americas at Gold Fields Ltd.
and as CEO of Gold Fields La Cima S.A. where he oversaw the Cerro
Corona Mining unit in Peru. His mining experience also includes a
broad range of positions during 16 years with the Hochschild Group
where he advanced to Vice President Operations after starting his
tenure as General Manager of the Mexican branch and then as General
Manager in Peru.
Mr. Balarezo serves as an Independent Board Member in Compañía
Minera Caravelí, Grupo LAR and Compañía Agrícola Chapi, as well as
the Strategic Committees in Grupo Cobra Perú and Spencer Stuart -
Perú. Mr. Balarezo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial
Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Industrial Management
from Texas A&M University.
José Fernández-Baca, CFO
Mr. Fernández-Baca was appointed Interim CFO on January 16,
2023, after joining the Company in 2020. His career spans more than
four decades at local and international levels of leading
multinational companies spanning the mining, textile and consumer
goods sectors, where he has held positions including General
Manager, CFO, and Finance Manager. Mr. Fernández-Baca's mining
experience includes ten years in financial leadership and as a
board member of Anglo American in Peru, and most recently three
years as Finance Manager and Director at Sociedad Minera Corona SA,
the Peru-based subsidiary of Sierra Metals.
Mr. Fernández-Baca holds a degree in Economics from the
Universidad del Pacifico, Lima-Peru, and an MBA from Northern
Illinois University. In addition, he has advanced executive program
certifications from Northwestern, INCAE, Cambridge, and the
Universidad de Piura.
About Sierra Metals
Sierra Metals is a diversified Canadian mining company with
green metal exposure including copper, zinc and lead production
with precious metals byproduct credits, focused on the production
and development of its Yauricocha Mine in Peru and its Bolivar Mine
in Mexico. The Company is focused on the safety and productivity of
its producing mines. The Company also has large land packages with
several prospective regional targets providing longer-term
exploration upside and mineral resource growth potential.
For further information regarding Sierra Metals, please visit
www.sierrametals.com.
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Investor Relations Sierra Metals Inc. Tel: +1 (416)
366-7777 Email: info@sierrametals.com
Ernesto Balarezo CEO Sierra Metals Inc. Tel: +1 (416)
366-7777
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