Burgess, who has had previous roles as ABN AMRO’s global head of metals and mining, and managing director and chief executive officer of Delta Gold and AurionGold, is expected to take up his position in August.
He is replacing outgoing MD Andrew Michelmore who will take up a senior executive role with Minmetals.
Burgess will earn a base salary of $950,000 per annum.
In the meantime, Bruce Loveday will act as OZ’s acting CEO from the date of settlement of the Minmetals transaction until Burgess takes up his position.
Earlier this month, OZ announced sweeping board changes with Michelmore and four other board members stepping down permanently.
Ronnie Beevor will retire from the board on June 11 and Anthony Larkin resigned earlier this month, with neither to be replaced.
Chairman Barry Cusack and Peter Mansell will also resign from the board once the Minmetals deal goes ahead.
Remaining on the OZ board are non-executive directors Dean Pritchard, Brian Jamieson and Michael Eager.
Minmetals is paying OZ $1.2 billion for almost all of OZ’s assets, including the Sepon copper and gold mine in Laos, the Golden Grove copper and zinc operation in Western Australia, the massive Century zinc mine in Queensland, and the Rosebery zinc and suspended Avebury nickel projects in Tasmania.
OZ will be left with the jewel in the crown, however, in the form of the Prominent Hill copper-gold mine in South Australia.
The proposed transaction still requires Chinese regulatory and OZ shareholder approvals.
Shares in OZ have slipped 1.5c to 86.5c in morning trade.
