Mineral sands miner Lynas has announced sweeping changes to its senior executive and Board, with Nicholas Curtis stepping down from the role of Chief Executive.

Lynas’ President and Chief Operating Officer, Eric Noyrez, will take on the role of CEO, while Mr Curtis will remain on the Board as a non-Executive Chairman.

The group’s Board has also announced the appointment of Liam Forde as the company’s new Deputy Chairman.

Mr Forde said that long term succession planning for Nicholas Curtis has been underway for some time, noting that Eric Noyrez was appointed as Chief Operating Officer for Lynas in February 2010 and given additional responsibility as President in March 2011.

“Nick has been the inspirational force driving Lynas for the past 12 years,” he said. “It was his experience in China that provided the pioneering vision to see the potential of the rich Mount Weld deposit, and it was his foresight and resilience that has ensured Lynas is now well capitalised and entering a new era as the first significant non-Chinese supplier of rare earths to original equipment manufacturers.”