Perenti appoints Dr Vanessa Torres as new CEO

Perenti (ASX:PRN) appointed Dr Vanessa Torres as its new Managing Director and CEO, effective April 1.

Torres succeeds Mark Norwell, following a planned transition process first outlined to shareholders during the company’s annual general meeting in October last year.

The high-profile leadership change comes after an extensive global search led by the Perenti board's non-executive directors, aimed at securing a leader capable of sustaining the significant momentum established over the past six years.

Dr Torres joins the diversified mining services group with a pedigree in the resources sector.

She most recently served as the COO at South32 (ASX:S32), where she held various senior executive positions since 2018, including Chief Technology Officer.

Her career spans over 25 years, featuring an 11-year tenure at BHP and senior leadership roles at Vale across South and North America.

Her expertise in driving operational excellence and business transformation in complex global environments is expected to be a primary asset for Perenti’s next growth phase.

Diane Smith-Gander AO, Chair of the Perenti board, praised the outgoing CEO for his transformative leadership, noting that under Mark Norwell’s guidance, the company achieved more than a four-fold increase in revenue and substantial improvements across all key financial metrics since 2018.

At the time of reporting, Perenti's share price was $2.02.