Mark Cutifani, CEO of AngloGold Ashanti, has joined the Board of Advisors of the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB).

AngloGold Ashanti is one of the UCT GSB’s major Corporate Learning partners – the School has been delivering customised training over the past five years to develop AngloGold Ashanti’s managers. The company is one of the world's leading gold producers – in 2007, it produced 5.5 million ounces of gold, making it the third largest producer in the world.

Cutifani, 50, who took over the chief executive officer post at AngloGold Ashanti from Bobby Godsell in September 2007, has a distinguished career in mining that began in 1976 and he has since held posts with various mining companies, such as Coalcliff, KMA, Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines, WMC Limited, and Sons of Gwalia Ltd, before joining Inco in 2003 and becoming vice-president of mine operations for Canada and the United Kingdom.

Cutifani became president of Inco's Ontario operations in 2004 and then president of North America and Europe Operations in 2005. In 2006, Cutifani was appointed Inco's chief operating officer and in 2007 he became CVRD Inco's chief operating officer.

Professor Frank Horwitz, Director of the UCT Graduate School of Business, welcomed Cutifani to the UCT GSB’s Board of Advisors.

“We are delighted to have Mark Cutifani on our team as an advisor – he has a broad and impressive international track record, both in operations and at executive level, across the mining industry. We look forward to his contribution to the important work of the Board.”

Cutifani said that he has been impressed with the work the UCT GSB team has been doing with AngloGold Ashanti in developing and delivering customised management programmes for the company.

“Let me acknowledge the successes we have had with the UCT GSB Corporate Learning team – in the Corporate Learning team we have people who understand the complexity of our world and the world of AngloGold Ashanti, and the approach to adult learning is innovative and, in our opinion, on the money.

“I am hoping I can both support the AngloGold Ashanti management development programme and, in some small measure, return some of the hospitality and support my family has found since we came to South Africa,” he said.