Group 1 - Barrick Gold Corporation has appointed Mark Hill as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and interim President and CEO, succeeding Mark Bristow, who has stepped down after nearly seven years in the role [1] - John Thornton, the Chairman of Barrick, acknowledged Bristow's contributions in strengthening the asset portfolio and establishing Barrick as a leading gold and copper producer globally, but did not provide reasons for his departure [1] - The board has initiated a search for a permanent President and CEO with the assistance of a leading executive search firm [1] Group 2 - The preliminary assessment of Barrick's Fourmile project in Nevada indicates a potential annual gold production of up to 750,000 ounces, being described as "one of the greatest gold discoveries of the century" [2] - The discovery is particularly significant amid increasing pressure on mining companies to maximize returns for shareholders, as exploring and developing new deposits becomes more challenging and costly [2] - Analysts have provided varying valuations for the Fourmile project, with estimates exceeding $10 billion from Stifel and around $9.2 billion from BMO Capital Markets [2]