Just over two weeks on from Westgold’s $3.4 merger with Karora Resources, Westgold managing director Wayne Bramwell has revealed the company’s plans for the future.
Bramwell took the stage at the 2024 Diggers & Dealers Conference in Kalgoorlie on August 6, and said Westgold’s portfolio has been enhanced through the merger.
“I’ve spoken about Westgold … as a portfolio company,” he said. “With the acquisition of Karora assets and team, the portfolio has just got stronger.
“It’s been a wild ride for the last five months … the business today is much different. (We have) two strategic footprints, we are dominant in the Murchison (region in WA), and now we’ve acquired a strategic footprint in the southern goldfields.”
Bramwell said he is particularly proud that Westgold both owns and runs its mines.
“One of the most pleasing things of this merger is now our team is much bigger, over 1900 strong,” he said. “A key capability we have is our underground drilling division … a capability we’ve built over the last few years.”
Westgold has seen a 40 per cent reduction in turnover rates since June 2023, something Bramwell is attributing to the company’s strong leadership.
“Leadership drives culture and culture drives performance,” he said. “Our team really understands this equation, and this has been key to the turnaround in the business.”
Bramwell said Westgold would continue to focus on operational excellence for the remainder of 2024, and into the future.
“Everyone in our business understands the expectation around delivery of the new Westgold is very high,” he said. “The business is much bigger but its not about scale, it’s about improving free cash flow out of this business.
“We know with the team we’ve got, we can do this.”
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