PRCL wholly owns the Pike River coking coal mine, which is currently under development on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island.

PRCL said Dow would bring to the board his extensive experience in the mining and exploration industry. He has held executive positions with Newmont Mining in Indonesia, the US and Latin America and led Newmont Australia as managing director for three years until his retirement in March 2005.

Dow is chairman of the external advisory boards of the Western Australian School of Mines, Kalgoorlie, and of the CODES centre of excellence at the University of Tasmania.

He is also immediate past president of the Society of Economic Geologists and is a current director of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

In 2006, Dow received the Sir Willis Connolly Medal awarded by the institute for his contributions to the mining industry and currently acts as a consultant.

Nattrass is a director of Fonterra Co-operative Group, dairy farmer and former banker.

The company added that the appointment of Arun Jagatramka – managing director of Indian shareholder Gujarat NRE Coke Limited – upon conclusion of the Pike initial public offering would complete the board.