After being one of the founding directors of the Gladstone Industry Leadership Group (GILG) Brian Cooper, the General Manager of Boyne Smelters Limited, is leaving the Gladstone region. Brian will take up a new role as the Chief Executive Officer at the Tomago Smelter, northwest of Newcastle.

I would like to personally recognise and thank Brian for his outstanding contribution to the formation and direction of GILG. As a Board Director, Brian strongly and consistently supported and demonstrated GILG’s fundamental tenants of community engagement, transparency and accountability.

Brian’s three years at Boyne Smelters have been marked by many major successes. Most notably, while improving site safety, production and stability, Brian significantly strengthened the trust and openness between the communities in the Boyne / Tannum area and the smelter.

The GILG Board and I wish Brian the very best for his new role.

Guy Fortin has relocated from Canada to replace Brian. Guy (pronounced “Ghee”) has over 20 years experience in Aluminium smelting and has been the General Manager at two North American smelters.

As an indication of the importance that Guy places on community engagement, one of his first public engagements was to attend a public meeting with the Boyne / Tannum community.

Please join me in warmly welcoming Guy and his wife to Gladstone. I am sure that they will both quickly become part our vibrant community.

With this change in membership, the current Directors of GILG are:

• Glenn Schumacher, the GILG Chairman who represents NRG Gladstone Operating Services, Queensland’s largest power station.

• Guy Fortin who represents Boyne Smelters Limited, Australia’s largest Aluminium smelter.

• Kevin Doyle who represents Cement Australia – Australia’s largest cement kiln.

• Mike Dunstan who represents Rio Tinto Aluminium Yarwun, the first green field alumina refinery built worldwide since 1985.

• Phil Campbell who represents Queensland Alumina Limited – the third largest alumina refinery in the world.

If you have any questions that you would like me to put to this group of senior Gladstone industry managers, please go to our forum topic at www.gilg.com.au.

If you would like to have your say on how GILG is going and don't know how, please click on this link which shows you how to register and make a comment, anonymously if you wish.

I look forward to hearing from you soon, cheers, Kurt.

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