Neo Energy Metals, the uranium and gold development company focused on South Africa, has announced the following changes to its board of directors as the Company transitions into the next phase of its strategy to become a leading African uranium producer with significant gold credits.
Appointment of Neal Froneman as Chairman
Neal Froneman, who until recently was Chief Executive Officer of NYSE and JSE listed Sibanye Stillwater and current chair of the World Gold Council, will become the new Independent Non-Executive Chairman of Neo Energy Metals.
Appointment of new Non-Executive Directors
Sajjad Sabur, John Wallington and Johan Reeder have been appointed as Non-Executive Directors.
The appointments, which will become effective on 24 April 2026, follow the recruitment of South African mining industry veterans, Theo Botoulas and De Wet Schutte who joined Neo Energy as CEO and CFO in 2025.
The current directors consisting of Jason Brewer, Sean Heathcote, Bongani Raziya, Jackline Muchai, James Longley and Charles Tatnall are stepping down effective 22 April 2026.
NEO Energy Metals CEO Theo Botoulas said,
“We are pleased to announce these high-profile additions to the Neo Energy board. We feel very fortunate to have been able to attract board members of such high pedigree, experience and knowledge of South Africa.
I believe this not only speaks to the exciting potential we see in the New Beisa and Henkries assets, but also for what Neo Energy can become by combining the new management and board together under one roof. Both myself and De Wet have personally worked with them in various parts of our past careers and deeply respect and value the knowledge and guidance they have, and no doubt, will provide in future.
In New Beisa and Henkries we have two of the most exciting uranium assets in the sector, which are heading into a key stage of their development as we look to complete the New Beisa transaction with Sibanye Stillwater and obtain the mining right for Henkries before heading into financing and construction phases.”
Appointments
The following independent non-executive directors have been appointed to the Board:
Neal Froneman – Independent Non-Executive Chairman
Neal Froneman has more than four decades of experience in mining and minerals, spanning operational, executive and board leadership at Gold Fields, Harmony, JCI and Aflease Gold, where he was instrumental in the creation of Uranium One from the company's uranium assets. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Sibanye-Stillwater from its formation in January 2013 until September 2025, leading its transformation from a 1.5 Moz South African gold producer into a globally diversified metals company and the world's primary PGM producer. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Wits Foundation, is Non-Executive Chairman of Business Against Crime South Africa and has been Chairman of the World Gold Council since 2023. He is also Non-Executive Chairman of Podium Minerals (ASX Listed) and PGM Processing LLC, and a director of DRA Global.
Sajjad Sabur – Independent Non-Executive Director
Sajjad Sabur is Chief Investment Officer at Gilini Group, where he oversees investment strategy, governance and is responsible portfolio companies. He was previously Managing Director and Head of Direct Investments at HSBC Private Equity, where he served on the global Investment Committee with deep investment experience across geographies and sectors including natural resources. He is a qualified accountant and holds a BA (Hons) in Economics,, and holds an MBA from London Business School.
John Wallington – Independent Non-Executive Director
John Wallington has more than 40 years of mining industry experience, with operational leadership across South Africa, Australia, Colombia and Canada. He spent 27 years at Anglo American plc, culminating as CEO of Anglo Coal, and has subsequently served as CEO of Coal of Africa, Head of Energy at Sibanye-Stillwater, and CEO of Riverdale Resources in Canada. He currently serves as a non-executive director of Glencore. He has also held non-executive roles at Keaton Energy, Buffalo Coal and Kwatani. He holds a BSc in Mining Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and has completed executive programmes at London Business School and Harvard Business School.
Johan Reeder – Independent Non-Executive Director
Johan Reeder is a Chartered Accountant with 35 years of international experience across the mining, manufacturing and utilities sectors in Africa, Australia and the Middle East. He has held senior executive roles in listed and unlisted entities, leading complex restructurings and aligning operational performance with long-term shareholder value. His expertise includes governance, risk management, financial oversight and regulatory compliance across diverse international jurisdictions.
+Board composition following these changes
Following these appointments, the Board comprises:
Neal Froneman – Non-Executive Chairman
Theo Botoulas – Chief Executive Officer
De Wet Schutte – Chief Financial Officer
Sajjad Sabur – Independent Non-Executive Director
John Wallington – Independent Non-Executive Director
Johan Reeder – Independent Non-Executive Director
Departures
The following directors have stepped down from the Board with effect from 22 April 2026:
Jason Brewer, Executive Chairman
Sean Heathcote, Executive Technical Director
Bongani Raziya, Non-Executive Director
Jackline Muchai, Non-Executive Director
James Longley, Non-Executive Director
Charles Tatnall, Non-Executive Director