The changes come as mining majors BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto changed their chief executives and as the industry focuses on driving growth through productivity gains instead of through acquisition.

Also, long-time Whitehaven Coal managing director Tony Haggarty this year resigned and made way for Paul Flynn.

Li Xiyong has been appointed as a director and as the new chairman of Yancoal following the resignation of previous chairman Wiemin Li.

Li has also been appointed as the chairman of the Chinese Yanzhou Coal Mining Company Limited, Yancoal’s majority shareholder. Yanzhou is seeking to buy out the minority shareholders in Yancoal.

Li, aged 49, started his career in 1981 and in 2001, was appointed as the director of the Huafeng Coal Mine of Xinwen Mining Group Co.

In 2006, Li was made the deputy general manager of Xinwen Group and in 2010, was appointed as the chairman and general secretary of the party committee of Xinwen Group.

In 2011, Li was appointed as the vice-chairman of Shandong Energy Group Co, and earlier this year became the general manager of the Yankuang Group.

Li holds a Master of Engineering and an EMBA.

There has been a considerable staff shuffle at Australia-listed Yancoal of late, with Reinhold Schmidt, a former senior executive at Glencore Xstrata, last month named as chief executive to succeed Murray Bailey, who stepped down mid-March.

New Hope announced plans for a senior management transition, with managing director and CEO Robert Neale retiring on January 31 next year and chief financial officer Shane Stephan stepping up as CEO.

The transition is part of a long-term succession plan and the board is managing an orderly transition, with Stephan anticipated to be appointed from February 1, the company said.

Neale is expected to remain a consultant to the company following his retirement, New Hope chairman Robert Millner said.

“A stable and capable management team has been a hallmark of New Hope’s evolution to become a successful diversified energy company and the transition process ensures this will continue to be the case,” he said.

“Shane Stephan has a unique mix of operational, commercial and financial experience in the resources sector to lead New Hope’s growth and diversification, and our measured approach to the transition will ensure a seamless handover.”

Stephan joined New Hope as chief financial officer in September 2009. He has spent more than 25 years in the coal mining industry, including senior management roles at Macarthur Coal between 2001 and 2009, and experience as a district inspector of mines.

Stephan has also worked in structured and corporate finance for an international investment bank.

As part of the senior management transition, Bruce Denney will remain in the role of chief operating officer, providing continuity in the management of the group’s operating assets and resource development activities and in particular, the approval process for the Acland extension.

Denney will also take responsibility for New Hope’s marketing function, including product coal logistics and sales.

“New Hope’s long-term strategy has been to grow the group through a combination of disciplined asset management, business improvement and innovative new ventures,” Millner said.

“The management transition ensures we continue to have a capable and experienced leadership team with complementary skills to deliver these growth initiatives.

“They have strong working relationships and a deep understanding of the resources industry and New Hope’s operations and strategy.”