Lonmin hires mining turnaround specialist as Chief Operating Officer

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LONDON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - South African platinum producer Lonmin (LSE: LMI.L - news) has appointed turnaround specialist Johan Lesley Viljoen as chief operating officer, as part of an executive reshuffle to help the company recover from a long strike that hit its output and finances.

Veteran mining engineer Viljoen, who previously held positions at Gold Fields (Xetra: 862484 - news) , Anglo American (LSE: AAL.L - news) and AngloGold Ashanti (LSE: AGD.L - news) , has "useful insights in the changing mining industry labour landscape," Lonmin Chief Executive Ben Magara said in a statement on Monday.

Lonmin was at the centre of a five-month platinum mining strike in South Africa which paralyzed its production. Since the strike ended in June, the company has been seeking to lift production to 80 percent of normal levels by the end of its financial year in September.

The chief operating officer role replaces two existing positions of executive vice president mining and executive vice president processing.

Mark Munroe and Natascha Viljoen, who held these two roles left the company to pursue new opportunities, Lonmin said. (Reporting by Silvia Antonioli; Editing by Erica Billingham)