HAR - Harmony Gold Mining Company - Appointment Of New Non-Executive Director Release Date: 06/03/2008 10:35:08 Code(s): HAR HAR - Harmony Gold Mining Company - Appointment Of New Non-Executive Director
HARMONY GOLD MINING COMPANY LIMITED
Registration number 1950/038232/06
Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa
ISIN: ZAE000015228
JSE share code: HAR
APPOINTMENT OF NEW NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Johannesburg, Thursday 6 March 2008. Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited
(Harmony) is pleased to announce that Dr Cheick Diarra has joined the Board as
non-executive director, effective 5 March 2008.
Dr Diarra is the chairman for Africa at Microsoft, responsible for Microsoft`s
broad scale citizenship, education and developmental activities on the
continent. In Dr Diarra`s view "Africa is one of the last frontiers where
challenges and opportunities abound in the spheres of education, health,
technology, production and infrastructure."
Born and raised in the small town of Nioro du Sahel in Mali, West Africa, Dr
Diarra graduated from Pierre & Marie Curie University in Paris, France. He went
on to attain his PhD in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Howard
University, Washington DC, USA.
After six years as an Assistant Professor at Howard, Dr Diarra joined the
National Aeronautic and Space Association (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
1998. As an interplanetary navigator, he oversaw five NASA missions, including
the Magellan mission to Venus, the Ulysses mission to the poles of the Sun, the
Galileo mission to Jupiter and the Mars Observer mission. He then served as the
navigator and public outreach manager for the Mars Pathfinder mission.
In 1999, in his personal capacity, Dr Diarra created the Pathfinder Foundation
for Education and Development - an organization that encourages and supports
female students in their pursuit of scientific education. To date, through
Pathfinder and the associated Summer Camps of Excellence in Science, many young
African female graduates have gone on to study scientific disciplines at some of
the world`s foremost universities.
In 2002, Dr Diarra was appointed as CEO of the African Virtual University (AVU)
- a project that quickly grew into an organization offering internationally-
recognised undergraduate science and business degrees (and other academic
courses) to students in 27 countries in Africa for a fraction of the traditional
cost.
In late 2003, Dr Diarra returned home to Mali and, driven by a curious mind,
began working on his farm to find solutions to the continent`s challenges with
food security and nutrition. Two years later, he was approached by Microsoft
and, ultimately, the company`s Chairman, Bill Gates, to take on the Africa
Chairman role.
Dr Diarra is UNESCO`s Goodwill Ambassador for Science, Technology and
Enterprise; the Vice-President of the UN`s World Commission on the Ethics of
Scientific Knowledge and Technology; a member of the Independent Commission on
Africa and the Millennium,; a member of the High Level African Panel on
Biotechnology; the Founder and President of the African Summit on Science and
New Technologies (SASNET); and the Commandeur de l`Ordre for National Education
in Gabon and Commandeur de l`Ordre du Merite du Lion in Senegal.
Dr Diarra has been awarded the African Lifetime ACHIEVEMENT award, the World
Bank`s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Science, and the Africa-America
Institute Award for Excellence in Science (for inspiring youth worldwide to
explore the cosmos). He was also voted one of the 100 Africans of the 21st
Century in Jeune Afrique.
Graham Briggs, chief executive of Harmony says, "We are privileged and honoured
to attract a candidate of Dr Diarra`s caliber. He has vast international
experience, understands the challenges we face in the mining industry and we
look forward to his sound guidance and knowledge."
Issued by Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited
6 March 2008
For more details contact:
Graham Briggs
Chief Executive
on +27(0)11 411 2023 or +27 083 265 0274
or
Amelia Soares
General Manager, Investor Relations
on +27 11 411 2314 or
+27 (0)82 654 9241
Corporate Office:
Randfontein Office Park
P O Box 2
Randfontein
South Africa 1760
T +27 (11) 411 2000
Sponsor
Merrill Lynch South Africa
Date: 06/03/2008 10:35:08 Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za
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