The Vancouver based coal miner announced that Rio Tinto executive Mr Keith Calder is replacing Mr John Hogg as president and CEO of Western Canadian Coal.

The 64 year old Hogg, who brought the company to profitability after a near delisting from the TSX 2 years ago is retiring but has agreed to stay on as a senior consultant after November 30th 2009.

Mr Calder has been based in Vancouver since 2007 as managing director of Rio Tinto's copper projects, where he managed a globally diverse team of over 400 professionals and 2000 staff and contractors. He had overall responsibility for the execution of a global portfolio of open pit and underground base metals and diamond projects, with in excess of USD 20 billion in capital expenditure, as part of the strategic plan for the Copper and Diamond Group within Rio Tinto.

He said that "Western is very well positioned to benefit from what is now a truly international asset base and we are targeting significant growth over the next three years."

(Sourced from Timescolonist.com)