K92 Mining announces leadership succession
K92 Mining Ltd, the operator of the Kainantu Gold Mine in Eastern Highlands Province, announces its planned leadership succession.
John Lewins will transition from chief executive officer to non-executive chair of the Board, with David Medilek, K92's current president and chief operating officer, appointed to succeed him as chief executive officer and director, effective Oct 1, 2026. As part of this transition, Anne Giardini will move from independent chair of the Board into the role of lead director.
The company also announces two further appointments: Chris Kinver, currently vice
president, projects & engineering, will become chief operating officer effective Oct 1,
2026, and Susan Scheepers has been appointed vice president, human resources, effective
Aug 1, 2026.
The planned succession reflects a shared commitment by the Board, John and David to ensuring strong leadership continuity as K92 enters its next phase of growth. Both John and the Board have expressed their full confidence in David. John will remain actively involved as non- executive chair, including regular travel to Papua New Guinea and continued engagement with government and the resource industry through his role as a vice president of the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Resources and Energy (PNG CORE). He also intends to continue supporting social development through the Kainantu Foundation and his recent appointment as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Goroka, Papua New Guinea's largest university.
Mr. Lewins is a founding director of K92, joining in 2016 as its first chief operating officer before becoming chief executive officer in August 2017. Over the past decade, his leadership has helped turn Kainantu into a major source of jobs, local procurement and tax and royalty revenue for Papua New Guinea.
He guided the mine from restart in late 2016 through commercial production in 2018, followed by the stage two and stage 2A expansions and the substantial completion of the stage three expansion. Under his leadership, K92’s workforce has grown from 130 in 2015 to approximately 3,100 today, including around 2,150 employees and permanent contractors, of whom approximately 91 per cent are PNG Nationals.
The new 1.2 million- tonne-per-annum process plant has been fully operational since December 2025, outperforming design expectations, with the ongoing ramp-up expected to further grow the company's contribution to the country. Mr. Lewins also oversaw major exploration successes across Kora, Judd, Blue Lake and Arakompa that have expanded K92's long-term footprint in PNG, including the 2021 Thayer Lindsley Award for Best Global Discovery from PDAC for the discovery of Kora North.
Mr. Lewins has also built strong, lasting relationships with the government of Papua New Guinea, landowners and local communities, and has developed a highly experienced leadership team to carry that work forward. Through this partnership, K92 has grown into one of Papua New Guinea's leading corporate taxpayers and its largest mineral explorer, while becoming a
major investor in the country's mining industry and a significant contributor to its economic and social development.
Anne Giardini, K92 Board chair, said: "On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank John for his exceptional leadership and service to K92 over the past decade. His operational leadership, commitment to Papua New Guinea and focus on building a strong team have established a solid foundation for K92's future.
“The Board has undertaken a thoughtful and orderly succession process, and David Medilek is the clear choice to lead K92. David combines technical and operational experience with deep knowledge of K92 and Papua New Guinea, and has earned the confidence of the Board and leadership team. We are equally pleased that John will continue to contribute to K92's success as non-executive chair, while my transition to lead director helps ensure continuity in Board leadership."
John Lewins, K92 Mining’s chief executive officer, said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to be involved in the initial establishment of K92 and to lead the Company for the last decade as we established K92 as mid-tier gold producer.
“I am extremely proud of what our team has accomplished and grateful for the support and partnership of the government of Papua New Guinea, our landowners, communities, employees, contractors and shareholders.
“With an exceptional production growth outlook and exploration pipeline ahead of us, this is the right time to transition leadership. Throughout my time as CEO, I have also remained closely engaged with Papua New Guinea's resource industry, including through my role as a Vice President of the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Resources and Energy ("PNG CORE"), and I look forward to continuing this work.
“David and I have worked closely since he joined K92 in 2019. He has played an integral role in shaping and executing our strategy, and I have full confidence in his leadership as I support him, the Board and the broader K92 team as non-executive chair. I have tremendous admiration for the people of Papua New Guinea and a deep bond with the country, and I plan to continue travelling there regularly to support David and K92, including maintaining engagement with government on behalf of K92 and the resource industry.
“I also intend to remain involved in our social development initiatives, especially through the Kainantu Foundation, and in my recent appointment as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Goroka, Papua New Guinea's largest university, based in Eastern Highlands Province where the Kainantu Mine is located. This allows me to continue contributing to the development of Papua New Guinea and its next generation of leaders through education.”
David Medilek, K92 president and chief operating officer, said: "I am honoured to be appointed chief executive officer and director of K92 and grateful to the Board for its confidence in me. John's leadership and mentorship have been instrumental in K92's success, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role. K92 is exceptionally well positioned, with a high-quality team and strong operational foundation. Our immediate priorities are clear: operate safely and responsibly, execute the stage three expansion ramp-up and stage four xpansion, continue unlocking Kainantu's district-scale exploration potential, and deliver sustainable value for Papua New Guinea.
“I would also like to congratulate Chris and Susan on their well-deserved appointments. Chris brings extensive experience in underground operations, mine development and project
execution, together with deep knowledge of K92, to the Chief Operating Officer role. Susan brings more than 20 years of human resources experience across the global resources industry, including extensive experience in Papua New Guinea. Their appointments reflect the depth of our leadership team and provide strong continuity as we execute our strategy."
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