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Marcelo Avecilla has taken over as CEO of PSJ Cobre Mendocino, the copper project located in Uspallata, Las Heras Department, and has identified three priorities for his management: local employment, Mendoza-based suppliers and open dialogue with the community. Fabián Gregorio moves into the role of President of the company, with responsibility for strategy and institutional relations.
By Panorama Minero
The leadership change accompanies the project’s transition into pre-construction studies, with projected production of 75,000 tonnes of contained copper annually during the first four years of operation and CAPEX of approximately US$800 million.
The New CEO’s Management Priorities
In his first public statement, published on LinkedIn, Avecilla said he was returning to Mendoza after more than 20 years working in mining operations in Australia and Argentina, with the aim of demonstrating that mining can “protect the environment and generate real development in Mendoza”.
He specified that this objective translates into local employment, Mendoza-based suppliers and open dialogue with the community.
These three priorities directly influence the decisions required during the current phase: the execution strategy and engineering, procurement and construction contracting arrangements; the procurement and supplier development plan; and workforce planning for the construction and operational stages.
Experience in Large-Scale Mining Operations
Avecilla served as General Manager of Mt. Marion, a Mineral Resources operation in Australia, with responsibility for the overall management of the asset and leadership of an expansion project.
Previously, he was General Manager of Christmas Creek, operated by Fortescue Metals Group, with annual iron ore production of approximately 52 million tonnes.
His career also includes experience at BHP, participation in the development and commissioning of mining operations in Australia, and investment projects in Argentina.
He holds qualifications in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering and Electrical Engineering from the University of Mendoza, a postgraduate qualification in Asset Management from Universidad Austral, and a specialisation in Minerals and Energy Management from the University of Western Australia.
New Leadership Structure
The company has divided its leadership into two levels, both headed by professionals from Mendoza.
Gregorio, who has historically driven the project forward, assumes the Presidency, with responsibility for strategy and institutional relations.
Avecilla takes over executive management, focusing on progress in pre-construction studies, engineering and planning for the subsequent stages.
Avecilla’s appointment, the redistribution of responsibilities with Gregorio and the production profile defined in the feasibility study establish PSJ Cobre Mendocino’s starting point towards project execution.
The management priorities outlined by the new CEO are linked to the contracting, procurement and workforce decisions that the project must make during this stage, ahead of construction of Mendoza’s first copper mine.