Category: People Moves

Hastings Technology Metals has appointed Vince Catania as its new chief executive officer (CEO), effective immediately. The leadership change comes as Hastings advances its Yangibana project in Western Australia, which is considered one of the world’s most advanced rare earths projects. Catania has been with Hastings since January 2023 holding the general manager corporate position. In this role, Catania aided the finalisation of the Yangibana joint venture with Wyloo and maintained agreements with Traditional Owners and environmental regulators. “I am excited to commence the role of CEO with Hastings and building on what has been a pivotal first half of 2025 for the company,” Hastings incoming CEO Vince Catania said. “I look forward to working closely with Wyloo as we move Yangibana further along the construction path and into FID (final investment decision), as well as working to progress our broader portfolio of assets including the Brockman heavy rare earths and niobium project and the Whiteheads gold project.” Catania brings a deep understanding of the Gascoyne region and Yangibana, having previously served as the member of Parliament (MP) for northwest WA. “Vince’s journey with the Yangibana project commenced when he was the local MP for northwest which included Yangibana and has had a long association with our project,” Hastings Technology Metals executive chair Charles Lew said. “Since then, he has been a valuable addition to the management team and contributed to a number of key areas of our business including managing the partnership with Wyloo. “As Hastings continues to develop, Vince will lead the work on the Yangibana joint venture as well as the permitting processes required to bring our Whiteheads gold project into mining.” In a separate announcement, the company advised that Neil Hackett has retired as non-executive director and joint company secretary, effective immediately. Hackett has been with Hastings since 2018 and played a key role in advancing Yangibana. Hastings thanked him for his contributions and wished him well in his future board commitments.

The new CEO is the current Chief Financial & Franchise Officer of the group. Yum! Brands, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously elected Chris Turner, 50, as CEO, effective October 1, 2025. Turner, who currently serves as Chief Financial & Franchise Officer for Yum! Brands will succeed current Chief Executive Officer David Gibbs, who, in March 2025, informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire in the next year after 37 years with the company “I’m deeply honoured to step into the role of CEO at Yum! Brands and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead this global company with such iconic brands,” said Turner. “I want to sincerely thank David Gibbs for his exceptional leadership and partnership. I’m excited to build on all that we’ve accomplished together alongside our talented teams and in partnership with our franchisees around the world, as we innovate, grow our brands and continue delivering exceptional experiences for our consumers.” Turner has served as Yum! Brands’ Chief Financial Officer since 2019 and expanded his role to include Chief Franchise Officer in 2024, with responsibilities for finance, corporate strategy, supply chain, franchise standards and support. In recent years, he has been instrumental in driving bold actions that leverage Yum!’s scale, such as accelerating the Company’s digital and technology transformation through initiatives like the establishment of Byte by Yum!, an AI-driven restaurant technology platform; launching a centralized, global Supply Chain Center of Excellence; and the creation of Saucy by KFC, a bold new restaurant concept. He has worked closely with Gibbs and the entire Yum! Brands leadership team to drive growth through unit development, deliver strong shareholder returns and foster a people-first culture of collaboration. Meanwhile, Gibbs served as Yum! Brands’ CEO since January 2020. As CEO, Gibbs was instrumental in architecting and leading the Company’s digital transformation and tripled the pace of Yum! Brands’ annual net new unit development, leading to nearly 61,000 restaurant units worldwide. During Gibbs’ tenure, digital sales surpassed US$30b in 2024, with over 50% of sales through digital channels. Gibbs remains CEO until September 30, 2025, and will serve as an adviser to the Company until the end of 2026 to ensure a seamless transition.