Eldorado CEO to retire after nearly two decades

TORONTO Eldorado Gold’s longtime chief executive is retiring after nearly two decades in the role and the company is tapping one of Goldcorp’s top executives to take the reins.

Paul Wright will step down as president and CEO after the company’s annual general meeting in April. Vancouver-based Goldcorp Inc. executive vice-president and chief operating officer George Burns will replace Wright.

Wright joined Eldorado in 1996 as vice-president of mining and assumed the top position in 1999. He helped the company earn a reputation for successfully building mines in challenging political climates.

Wright led the Vancouver-based miner through years of politically charged confrontation in Greece as well as entering China and running the biggest foreign-owned mine in that country and its subsequent exit through deals totalling US$900 million.

He will take over as chairman of Eldorado’s board.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have led Eldorado over 17 years, a period of intense activity through which we succeeded in creating a truly leading international gold company,” Wright said in a statement.

Current chairman Robert Gilmore will continue to serve on the board as vice-chairman.

“On behalf of Eldorado’s board of directors, I would like to express our sincerest thanks to Paul Wright for his 20 years of tireless dedication and leadership in building an outstanding gold mining company,” Gilmore said in a statement.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have led Eldorado over 17 years, a period of intense activity.

Burns, who has 30 years’ experience in the mining industry, was appointed COO of Goldcorp in 2012 after holding a number of senior management positions at that company as well as Centerra Gold Inc., Asarco, Cyprus Minerals Corp, and Anaconda Co.