Verner is said to have “extensive international commercial and operational experience across a range of commodities including copper and base metals, uranium and thermal and metallurgical coal”.

Syrah has also appointed Rob Schaefer as chief commercial officer, with Schaefer also ex-BHP.

Acting executive chairman Jim Askew will now revert back to his roles as a non-exec chairman based in Denver, Colorado, with the changes at Syrah following the sudden resignation of former MD Tolga Kumova last October.

Syrah is in the process of building a graphite concentrate and battery anode material business underpinned by the developing $US200 million Balama graphite operation in Mozambique.

That project is due to start production and the ramp-up phase in the third quarter of 2017.

Syrah started 2017 with $A163 million cash, and is looking to put in place a $US50 million debt facility for Balama “as a conservative contingency measure for the commissioning and production ramp-up phase”.

Shares in Syrah were up 1.3% to $A3.18 in morning trade, capitalising the company at $839 million.

The stock reached more than $6.50 last June, with $194 million raised that same month when new shares were issued at a price of $6.05.