Former cricketer joins exodus as embattled miner changes the batting order
Former cricketer Justin Langer becomes the fifth Mineral Resources director to depart in recent months as the hunt continues for new board blood following scandals involving boss Chris Ellison.
Former Australian cricketer Justin Langer joined the boardroom exodus at Mineral Resources, bowing out as the company seeks to move on from a series of scandals involving founder Chris Ellison and rehabilitate its governance.
MinRes said Mr Langer resigned effective immediately, and he is the fifth MinRes director to depart in the past few months, joining former chairman James McClements, Denise McComish, Susie Corlett and Jacqui McGill.
New chairman Malcolm Bundy has made a board overhaul a priority but shook things up by framing Mr Ellison’s proposed exit as a decision that must be made in the best interest of the company. This is despite the billionaire’s past involvement in an offshore tax scheme, misuse of company resources and related party dealings.
Mr Langer’s departure was linked to his increasing cricket coaching commitments.
The company said that since he joined the MinRes board two-and-half years ago, Mr Langer has been appointed to senior coaching positions that require him to be overseas for extended periods.
In July 2023, Mr Langer was named head coach of the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League and this year he was appointed coach of London Spirit in England’s The Hundred competition.
He was sacked as Australian cricket coach in February 2022 after players expressed concern about his intensity and approach.
The coaching jobs in India and England are on top of Mr Langer’s work as a public speaker, a cricket commentator, a newspaper columnist and member of the board of bottom-placed AFL club West Coast Eagles.
Mr Langer left Perth last week for the start of his first season at the helm of London Spirit.
There are now just four MinRes directors still standing, including Mr Ellison, since his involvement in a Virgin Islands tax scheme and other controversies sparked an investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Mr Langer said it had been a “privilege to serve on the MinRes board during a period of significant challenges and change for the company”.
“MinRes is a strong and resilient business with a high-performance culture. I have been inspired by the dedication, passion and commitment of its people,” he said.
“With my expanding commitments both in Australia and overseas, I am not in a position to continue to give the time and focus that I believe MinRes deserves. I thank Chris Ellison and the board for their understanding of my position and I look forward to observing MinRes enter its next chapter.”
Mr Langer was appointed to the board in December 2022 when Mr Ellison was riding high and the MinRes share price was too. He had no experience in mining and no board experience outside the West Coast Eagles.
MinRes said at the time that it placed “a high premium on diversity of experience” and that “we believe that bringing in a breadth of expertise and knowledge is key to our success”.
Mr Ellison said on Wednesday that Mr Langer had made a valuable contribution during his time on the board.
“His passion and willingness to share his experience has had a truly positive impact on the business. He made it a priority to visit many of our sites across Western Australia, meeting with frontline employees and hearing first-hand what matters most to the people who drive our success,” Mr Ellison said.
“Justin brought insights that will continue to shape the way we think about our people. I wish him the best as he continues his distinguished career.”
Ms McComish, Ms Corlett and Ms McGill were all members of the MinRes ethics and governance committee when they quit in April. Mr McClements left on June 30 as part of the fallout from the governance scandal.
Last month, MinRes named Ross Carroll, the former boss of mining contractor Macmahon Holdings, and former Origin Energy chief financial officer Lawrie Tremaine as directors.
The appointment of the two directors with strong financial credentials came as MinRes focused on balance sheet repair and potential asset sales.
Mr Carroll and Mr Tremaine joined Mr Bundey and Mr Langer on the new-look ethics and governance committee.
MinRes is looking to recruit another two directors.
The MinRes share price rose 21c to $33.15 on Wednesday.
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