Both appointments are effective from 1st January 2021. Darren Wilson was formerly managing director of LKAB Minerals, and Rowan Elliott joined LKAB Minerals in 2018 as European chief operating officer. Elliott brings a range of experience to his new role, having spent over 25 years in the industry in senior management roles for organisations including Tarmac and Francis Flower.
Leif Boström, senior VP for LKAB's business area special products, commented: “Darren has successfully developed and grown the UK minerals business. In this new, broader role, I look forward to him leading a similar growth journey for our international mineral business, together with Rowan in the UK and our other operations around the world.”
LKAB is headquartered in Luleå, Sweden and has a UK base in Derby. It acquired UK industrial minerals company Francis Flower in 2018.
Wilson commented on his new role: "Minerals are around us in everything we do, and demand for increasingly complex combinations will continue to grow. Our challenge is to meet that demand whilst minimising the impact on our environment. This makes it an exciting time to be in the industrial minerals sector, and I look forward to the opportunity to lead the development of our industrial minerals business in the US, Europe, Asia and new markets, while keeping our sustainable values at the core of the business”.
Elliott added: “It is with great pride and pleasure that I accept the position of managing director for the UK business. Set against a backdrop of exciting change announced across the wider LKAB business, our functional changes reflect a process of evolution as we continue to grow and develop a UK organisation already grounded on exceptional foundations."