Smith was previously a group executive with Normandy Mining and managing director of Australian Magnesium Corporation.

As commercial manager, Smith will be responsible for debt finance, metal marketing and Federal Government relationships.

Pima’s chairman Pat Elliot said Smith’s experience in the management and marketing of industrial metals would be invaluable.

“His appointment follows a period of consultancy work for SAMAG where he conducted a comprehensive review of the project and confirmed that, among the new magnesium plays, SAMAG had the lowest capital and operating costs and offered the lowest risk profile to potential investors,” Elliot said.

“The fact that he has decided to become an integral member of the team is a vote of confidence in SAMAG’s approach to becoming the world’s lowest cost producer of magnesium metal by 2004.”