Horizon Gold (ASX:HRN) resets leadership as Gum Creek advances toward development

Horizon Gold has moved to reshape its leadership at a point where corporate execution and project continuity carry increased weight, announcing the appointment of Scott Williamson as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, effective 2 February 2026.

The change comes as the company continues to advance its 100% owned Gum Creek Gold Project in Western Australia, which already carries a substantial Mineral Resource Estimate and remains the central focus of its development pathway.

Highlights

• Scott Williamson appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director from 2 February 2026

• More than 20 years’ experience across mining operations, capital markets, investor relations and management

• Former Managing Director Leigh Ryan transitions to General Manager Exploration, stepping down from the Board

• Gum Creek Gold Project hosts a Mineral Resource Estimate of 2.30Moz Au

• Executive Chairman Peter Sullivan reverts to Non-executive Chairman

Williamson’s appointment places an executive with both operational and capital markets experience at the helm, a combination that has become increasingly relevant as companies move from exploration and study phases toward development decision points.

A Mining Engineer by training, with a Commerce degree, Williamson has held roles spanning mining operations, technical services, investor relations and equity research, and has worked across gold and base metals projects in Australia, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Most recently, he served as Managing Director of Blackstone Minerals, following earlier roles with Resolute Mining, Euroz Hartleys and Perseus Mining, while also holding non-executive directorships at Leeuwin Metals and Corazon Mining.

The leadership change has been structured to preserve technical continuity at Gum Creek. Leigh Ryan, who has led Horizon since December 2020, will step down as Managing Director and director but remain with the company as General Manager Exploration.

During his tenure as Managing Director, the company reported a significant uplift in ounces at Gum Creek and progressed feasibility study work, positioning the project as a more defined development opportunity.

His transition away from the board is intended to allow greater focus on exploration, geology and resource growth across Horizon’s existing deposits and broader tenure.

The Gum Creek Gold Project itself underpins the significance of the management reset.

The project hosts a Mineral Resource Estimate of 37.97Mt at 1.89g/t Au for 2.30Moz of gold, reported under the JORC Code 2012, with 71% of ounces classified as Indicated.

Horizon is continuing work on the Gum Creek Feasibility Study, building on earlier scoping outcomes that outlined a potential 10 year mine life.

The company has stated that underground mining options across several deposits remain to be assessed, alongside additional drilling across multiple open pittable resource areas that were not included in earlier studies, highlighting the scale of ongoing technical work still to be completed.

From a governance perspective, the board structure has also been adjusted, with Peter Sullivan reverting from Executive Chairman to Non-executive Chairman. In commenting on the changes, Sullivan said

“we are delighted to have Scott join the Horizon team. His experience makes him ideally suited to lead the next phase of growth for Horizon as we advance the Gum Creek Gold Project to production,”

while also acknowledging Ryan’s contribution and ongoing role within the company.

Williamson’s employment terms include a $300,000 fixed salary plus statutory superannuation, alongside long term incentives linked to share price performance and the achievement of a fully funded Final Investment Decision for the Gum Creek Gold Project.

These arrangements align executive incentives with both market outcomes and project advancement milestones, reflecting the company’s stated focus on progressing Gum Creek through the development cycle.

Horizon Gold’s leadership transition reflects a deliberate effort to balance continuity with a refreshed executive skill set as Gum Creek moves through feasibility and evaluation stages.

With resource definition largely established and development studies ongoing, the company now enters a phase where execution discipline, stakeholder engagement and capital markets experience become increasingly central, positioning the new management structure as a key element in Horizon Gold’s next chapter within the Australian gold sector.

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