About Us Our leadership

Our leadership

Elliot Twum Vice President and Interim Managing Director
Catherine Kuupol Kuutor Tarkwa Mine Manager
LINDLEY WITBOOI Vice President and Head of Finance
DR CELESTINA ALLOTEY Vice President, ESG Strategy & Integration (Group)
MICHAEL EDEM AKAFIA Vice President - External Affairs
SAMPSON ARTHUR Operations Manager, Damang Mine

ALFRED BAKU

Executive Vice President and Head of West Africa

Executive Education Programme, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, USA; MSc, Mining Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); Statutory Mines Manager Certificate, Minerals Commission Ghana; First Vice President, Ghana Chamber of Mines; Member, Australasia Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM).

With over two decades of experience in mining engineering, Alfred Baku rose through the ranks to become the Executive Vice President and Head of Gold Fields West Africa. Alfred joined Gold Fields in 2002 as a Mining Engineer. In 2004, he worked as a Senior Mining Engineer at Gold Fields' Agnew Mine in Western Australia. He also worked at Gold Field's St. Ives Mine in Australia in 2005.

Alfred returned to Ghana in 2007 to head the Mining Department of the Damang Mine, and was appointed General Manager of the mine in November 2008. He became the General Manager of the Tarkwa Mine in 2010 and subsequently, the Vice President of Operations for both mines. In 2013, Alfred was promoted to Senior Vice President for West Africa and became a member of Gold Fields Group's Executive Committee. In February 2014, he was appointed the Executive Vice President and Head of Gold Fields West Africa.

Prior to joining Gold Fields, Alfred worked in Australia for Billiton and Ranger Minerals in production and mine planning engineering capacities. As the First Vice President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Alfred serves on the Advisory Board of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

SAMPSON ARTHUR

Operations Manager, Damang Mine

MSc Minerals Engineering, University of Mines and Technology; Processing Manager's Certificate of Competency, Minerals Commission

Sampson Arthur is a Metallurgist with extensive career experience spanning almost three decades in the mining industry. Since joining Gold Fields in 2004, Sampson held various leadership positions at the Tarkwa and Damang mines, until his appointment as Operations Manager for Damang in May 2024. He previously worked at AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem mine and Teberebie Goldfields Limited, both in Ghana.

Elliot Twum

Acting General Manager, Damang Mine

CASPER DZORMEKU

Asanko Joint Venture Manager and Regional Metallurgical Lead

EMBA, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Ghana; MSc Minerals Engineering, Camborne School of Mines, UK; BSc Chemical Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Mines and Technology (KNUST), Ghana; MGhIE, Certified Mine and Process Plant Manager, Minerals Commission Ghana.

Casper Dzormeku's career as a Minerals/Process Engineer spans over 30 years, having worked in Ghana, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. Mr Dzormeku re-joined Gold Fields in March 2019 as Asanko Joint Venture Manager and Regional Metallurgical Lead. He was the Process Manager – Heap Leach for Gold Field's Tarkwa mine from December 2010 to May 2013. He has held several managerial positions, including General Manager of Ad Duwayhi Gold Mine in Saudi Arabia, Processing Engineering Manager of Hanwha Engineering and Construction Company in South Korea and Senior Manager – Metallurgy at AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi mine.

CATHERINE ABADJI

Vice President and Head of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs

MBA, Human Resources, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration; BSc (Hons) Tourism, University of Cape Coast.

Catherine Abadji was appointed Vice President and Head of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs for the West Africa Region on 1 July 2022. She has over 18 years' experience in human resource management. Catherine started her career at Newmont Ghana and later worked at Clark Sustainable Resource Developments as HR Manager. She moved to L'Oréal West Africa, where she managed teams in Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria. Prior to joining Gold Fields, Catherine was the Human Resources Director for GBfoods Ghana.

LINDLEY WITBOOI

Vice President and Head of Finance, Gold Fields West Africa

Strategic Leadership Programme, University of Oxford, UK; Executive Leadership Programme, University of Cape Town; MBA, University of Pretoria; BCom Accounting, University of Stellenbosch; SAIPA registration, IPA Australia.

Lindley H. Witbooi has over 22 years of career experience as an accountant, mostly in the mining industry. Mr Witbooi joined Gold Fields in August 2007 as Finance Manager, before being appointed Vice President and Head of Finance for the West Africa Region in August 2013. Prior to joining Gold Fields, Mr Witbooi was the Management Information Manager: Finance at Anglo American in South Africa.

DR CELESTINA ALLOTEY

Vice President and Head of Sustainable Development, Gold Fields West Africa

PhD and MSc Geoenvironmental Engineering, University of Western Ontario, Canada; BSc (Hons) Civil Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana; Registered Professional Engineer, Ontario, Canada (P.Eng.); Registered Professional Engineer, Ghana Institute of Engineers (Ing.); Member of the Ghana Geotechnical Society and International Geosynthetics Society.

Dr Celestina Allotey has over 20 years' experience as a Geoenvironmental Engineer, researcher and consultant. She joined Gold Fields in August 2020 as Vice President and Head of Sustainable Development. Prior to joining Gold Fields, Dr Allotey worked at Golder Associates as Senior Geoenvironmental/Tailings Engineer and later as the company's Regional Manager for West Africa. She was also the Senior Manager for Environment and Closure at AngloGold Ashanti Ghana, following her time with AMEC Earth and Environmental in Ontario, Canada as a Geoenvironmental Engineer.

Dr Allotey's over two decades career includes her extensive consultancy work in environmental management, closure planning, tailings engineering and construction, as well as acting as a third party auditor for several mining companies in Canada and Ghana.

MICHAEL EDEM AKAFIA

Vice President - External Affairs

LLM, Queen Mary University of London; Cert (International Commercial Litigation), University College London; Cert (Environmental Law), University of Pretoria; MBA (Finance), University of Ghana Business School; QCL, Ghana School of Law; LLB, University of Ghana; BA, Economics & Geography, University of Cape Coast, Ghana; Member of the Ghana Bar Association; Certified Tax Practitioner and member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana; Investment Advisor's Representative licensed by Ghana's Securities and Exchange Commission.

Michael Edem Akafia was appointed Vice President and Head of Legal and Compliance for Gold Fields West Africa in March 2015. Since joining the company in 2010, Mr Akafia has held the position of Company Secretary of all Gold Fields entities in Ghana and previously served as the Legal Manager. He has more than 19 years’ experience as a legal practitioner, most of which has been in leadership positions, including Head of Legal and Company Secretary at SIC Financial Services Limited, Associate with Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa and Ankomah law firm, as well as Research and Legal Assistant for Lawfields Consulting. He was previously a part-time lecturer in Business Law and Jurisprudence at Zenith University College in Ghana. In February 2022, Michael was appointed as a notary public by the Chief Justice of Ghana.

JOHANNES LODEWICKES DE BEER

Vice President and Head of Engineering Projects, Gold Fields West Africa

Diploma in Senior Management, Warwick University, UK; Engineering Manager's Certificate, Ghana; Statutory Mines Manager's Certificate, Minerals Commission Ghana; Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer, South Africa; Mechanical Engineering Certificate, South Africa; National Higher Diploma in Engineering, South Africa.

With over 42 years of career experience in Mechanical Engineering, Johannes Lodewickes de Beer rose through the ranks to become the Vice President and Head of Engineering Projects for Gold Fields West Africa. He was appointed to this role in 2015 after being promoted from Head of Engineering for the West Africa Region. Mr de Beer joined Gold Fields in January 1979 as an apprentice at the Usutu Colliery mine in South Africa. He went on to become Senior Engineering Manager at Gold Fields' Beatrix and Kloof gold mines in South Africa. In 2006, Mr de Beer moved to Ghana to work with Gold Fields' Tarkwa mine as Chief Engineer and later as the Engineering Manager of the mine.

CHARLES KOFI NTI

Acting General Manager, Damang Mine

MBA, Henley Management College, UK; MSc Mining Engineering, University of Mines and Technology; BSc (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology; Executive Leadership Programmes at Denver University - USA, Imperial College - UK and Wits University - South Africa; Chartered Management Accountant, CIMA CGMA; Member of Ghana Institution of Engineering

Joshua Mortoti is a Mechanical and Mining Engineer with over 25 years' experience in the mining industry. His areas of expertise include managing mine operations, engineering, strategic planning and business development. Additionally, he is knowledgeable in energy management and accounting.

He joined Gold Fields in April 2021 as Vice President – Operations for the West Africa Region and became the Acting EVP and Head of the Region on 1 January 2022.

Prior to joining Gold Fields, Josh spent 15 years with Newmont, working in various senior managerial and executive roles, including General Manager of the Akyem Mine, General Manager - Operational Services, Mine Manager of the Ahafo Mine, Regional Business Planning Director, as well as Regional Capital and Energy Manager. Josh was also the Business Development Manager for AngloGold Ashanti's West Africa operations.

Josh previously served on the technical committees of Ghana's Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, Ghana Standards Board and the Energy Commission. He was involved in developing Ghana's power regulatory framework and led the technical team to define guidelines for bulk customers and tariff setting. He was formerly the Chairperson of the Energy and Technical Committees of the Ghana Chamber of Mines.

Steven Robins

Acting Vice President - Technical Services

MBA, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK; MSc (Eng), Mineral Resource Evaluation, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; BSc (Hons) Geology, University of Natal, South Africa; Fellow, Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM).

Steven Robins is a geologist with over 25 years’ experience in the mining industry. He joined Gold Fields West Africa in October 2020 as Regional Manager – Geology and was appointed Acting Vice President – Technical Services in December 2022. He started his career with SRK in 1996 as an engineering geologist on secondment to AngloGold Ashanti’s Navachab Gold Mine in Namibia. He later joined AngloGold in June 2000, where he spent 19 years working in various roles including mine geology, mineral resource evaluation, geology management, as well as general management at the company’s East and West African operations. Prior to joining Gold Fields, Steven was the Mineral Resources Director for Nordgold in Burkina Faso.

Catherine Kuupol Kuutor

Tarkwa Mine Manager

PhD Candidate, University of Mines and Technology (UMaT); MSc Mineral Engineering UMaT; Diploma Mineral Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology; Mine Managers’ Certificate of Competency in Processing and Metallurgy, Minerals Commission; Member, Ghana Institution of Engineers, West Africa Institute of Mining, Women in Mining Ghana and Ladies in Mining and Allied Professions.

Catherine Kuupol Kuutor was appointed as Manager for the Tarkwa mine on 1 May 2024, making her the first woman to be appointed to a senior mining leadership position in Ghana.

She is a Metallurgist with over 20 years of experience in minerals processing. Until her appointment, she was the first female Metallurgical Manager for the Tarkwa mine, with oversight of the Damang mine. She joined Gold Fields in 2013 as Metallurgical Superintendent and in 2017, was appointed the Metallurgical Manager for the Damang mine, becoming the first female to be appointed into that role.

Prior to joining Gold Fields, Catherine worked at Golden Star Resources (Wassa Mine) for almost a decade in various roles.

Elliot Twum

Vice President and Interim Managing Director

MSc Mining and Management (candidate), Colorado School of Mines; Post Graduate Diploma Mining Engineering, University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa; BSc in Electrical Engineering; alumnus of London Business School’s Accelerated Development Programme; Certificate of Competency, Minerals Commission.

Elliot Twum was appointed Vice President and Interim Managing Director of Gold Fields Ghana on 1 May 2024 and oversees the Tarkwa and Damang mines.

Elliot is an Electrical Engineer with over 22 years of experience in the mining industry. He joined Gold Fields in 2014 as Engineering Manager for the Tarkwa mine and in 2021, was transferred to Damang mine as the Engineering Manager. In 2023, Elliot became the Engineering Manager for both mines.

Prior to joining Gold Fields, he worked at AngloGold Ashanti, where he was the Senior Manager, Engineering for the Sadiola and Yatela mines in Mali. He had previously worked at AngloGold’s Siguiri mine in Guinea and spent some time at the company’s mines in South Africa.