This week’s Talent Tuesday sees the announcement of Mark Cutifani quitting the board of Woodside Energy (ASX:WDS) just six months after joining. Cutifani has revealed he will be joining the board of Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST), Australia’s largest listed gold producer.
This move comes after months of internal governance concerns following revelations that Cutifani and another director, Tony O’Neill, had pre-existing business links. O’Neill resigned in July 2026. Cutifani was previously under consideration as the likely successor to Woodside’s current chair, Richard Goyder, who is stepping down by the company’s 2027 annual general meeting.
Cutifani is the former chief executive of Anglo American (LSE:AAL). While there, he led a significant company restructuring initiative, driving transformation across all of its global mining operations. He has most recently served as chair of Vale Base Metals, a subsidiary of Vale (NYSE:VALE) from 2023 to 2025, again supporting the company’s performance transformation.
Cutifani brings almost 50 years in the industry to this new role, having started out in deep underground coal mining in Australia in 1976.
He also currently serves as a senior technical expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in its Critical Minerals Security Program.
In joining Northern Star, Cutifani says he is going back to his gold roots.
“Gold mining has been a huge part of my life and it’s great to be back in the sector,” Cutifani says.
“As Australia’s leading listed gold producer, Northern Star has an enviable portfolio of assets and, at a personal level, it’s something of a homecoming given I was the inaugural general manager for the establishment of the Kalgoorlie Superpit way back in 1989.”
Northern Star’s Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) operations include the Fimiston open pit (Super Pit), Fimiston and Mt Charlotte underground mines, as well as the Fimiston and Gidji processing plants. The Super Pit is one of Australia’s largest open pit gold mines and is 100% Australian-owned.
Woodside and Northern Star shake things up
Elliott Investment Management recommended Cutifani for the role with Northern Star. Elliott has also put forward Peter Rozenauers to join the Northern Star board as non-executive director, effective 1 October 2026.
Rozenauers retired from Orion Resource Partners in June 2026, having previously served as operating partner and managing partner. He will remain a non-executive member of the investment committee at Orion Mine Finance and Orion Industrial Ventures. Rozenauers is also a non-executive director of Uranium Royalty (NASDAQ:UROY).
Rozenauers brings 21 years of experience in leadership roles in resources investing across Australia, Brazil, Canada, North Macedonia, Namibia, South Africa, and the US, with a broad focus across precious metals, base metals, and industrial mineral projects.
Speaking on his appointment, Rozenauers says that he’s excited about the direction the company is heading.
“I’m very pleased to be joining at a time when the full potential of KCGM is being delivered through [the] commissioning of the new Fimiston mill and to have the opportunity to contribute to the successful development of the new Hemi Project.”
Woodside has reported additional moves, with Executive Vice President and COO International Daniel Kalms leaving the company and the appointment of current Vice President, Gulf of America, Paa-Joe Akoto-Ampaw in his place.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Main image: Anglo American
