"Trident has grown rapidly since its inception - both with regards to assets within the portfolio, as well as providing significant shareholder returns - and I view it as testament to our strategy and ability to execute that we've attracted someone of Richard's calibre," Trident's non-executive chairman Paul Smith said.

Hughes, with more than 15 years of experience in the natural resources sector, founded an independent consultancy in 2019, and was a senior member of the metals and mining investment banking team at RBC Capital Markets in London from 2010 to 2018, Trident said.

He began his career at CIBC, where he was a member of the Global Mining Group, it said.

Hughes, together with his wife, holds 125,000 Trident ordinary shares of 0.01p each, representing 0.04% of the company's voting rights, Trident said.

He has been granted options over 1.6 million Trident shares of 0.01p with an exercise price of 50p per share under the company's current long-term incentive plan.

Trident's share price was 50p on 20 September.