Iscor Limited’s Board of Directors has appointed Martin Van Wijngaarden, currently Iscor's Chief Operating Officer, as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer effective July 1, 2004. His appointment forms part of the company's long-term succession planning.

Van Wijngaarden, who holds a doctorate in metallurgical engineering from the University of Pretoria, has been with Iscor for 16 years. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer in September 2003 and previously held several senior managerial positions within the company, including that of Executive Director—Long Steel Products.

Iscor chief executive Louis van Niekerk welcomed Van Wijngaarden's appointment and said he was confident that his background and professional expertise would be an asset to Iscor in his new role. "Van Wijngaarden's appointment allows us to create a single managerial structure within the organization, by combining the current executive and operational committees into one structure, under my overall leadership as Chief Executive Officer," said Van Niekerk.

The company also announced that Davinder Chugh, currently the Commercial Director, will now assume additional responsibilities related to Iscor's sales and marketing and information management functions. With effect from July 1, 2004, Chugh's role will be expanded to Commercial and Marketing Director.

Chugh holds degrees in science and law and has a master's degree in business administration. He has some 27 years experience in the steel industry, in particular materials purchasing, logistics, warehousing and shipping. Before joining Iscor in May 2002, he held the post of Vice President—Purchasing at Ispat Europe, a member of the LNM Group.