Elliott pushes Australian gold miner Northern Star for board change after talks stall
Elliott Investment Management pressed Northern Star Resources for director changes on Wednesday, unveiling a slate of six possible candidates and inviting shareholder support after negotiations with Australia's largest gold miner stalled.
The activist investor first pushed for a strategic review in early June after building a stake worth more than A$1-billion ($705.6-million), or 4% of Northern Star's shares, and has since increased its economic interest to 5.6%.
Elliott said it does not wish to seek control of the board or add any of its employees to it.
It added that the candidates on its list have operated large-scale gold mines across Australia, Africa and the Americas, with several also bringing highly relevant Australian governance experience.
The activist investor maintained that a thorough review is needed and a fully equipped board would be required to support incoming CEO Suresh Vadnagra, current head of Glencore's nickel and zinc industrial assets.
Among Elliott's roster is Mark Cutifani, current independent director of oil and gas major Woodside Energy and former CEO at Anglo American.
Elliott reiterated that Northern Star's total shareholder return has severely lagged that of its peers over the past several years.
Northern Star shares rose as much as 2.1%, compared with a 1.2% rise in the Australian gold sub-index on the day, but are down about 14% so far this year.
