JOHANNESBURG (I-Net Bridge) -- The head of Gold Fields' [NYSE:GFI] South African operations, Brendan Walker, has died in a car accident, the group announced in a statement on Tuesday.
"It is with a deep sense of loss and great sadness that Gold Fields Limited has to announce the death of Brendan Walker in a car accident in the Eastern Cape on Saturday, 30 December 2006. Brendan was an executive vice president of Gold Fields and head of its South African operations," the statement said.
Forty-eight year old Walker is survived by his wife Tanya and two children, Clare (11) and Peter (8).
Gold Fields CEO Ian Cockerill said: "Brendan was not only a colleague but a friend. He was one of our brightest stars and his untimely death will leave a deep void. On behalf of the Board and all of the people of Gold Fields we extend our deepest condolences to Tanya, Clare and Peter, as well as to his extended family and many friends and colleagues all over the world.We share in their grief and our thoughts are with them during this very difficult time."
Walker was associated with Gold Fields his entire career. After finishing his studies as a Gold Fields bursar at the University of the Witwatersrand, he joined the group's Kloof Gold Mine as a shift boss in 1983. He worked his way up through the ranks to become manager of West Driefontein Gold Mine in 1995.
Since then he has held a number of senior management and executive positions in the group, including as managing director of Gold Fields Ghana from September 2003 to February 2006.
He was appointed as an executive vice president and head of South African operations on 1 March 2006.
His successor will be announced in due course, Gold Fields said.
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