Newcrest Mining’s chief operating officer Sandeep Biswas will take over as the gold producer`s chief executive and managing director from July 4.

Mr Biswas, the former chief executive at Rio Tinto-owned Pacific Aluminium, started with Newcrest in January with the expectation that he would succeed current CEO and MD Greg Robinson in the later half of the year.

The news came as Newcrest, Australia’s largest gold producer, announced an 11 per cent fall in March quarter gold production to 551,590 ounces.

However, the company says it expects full year production to be around the top end of its guidance range at about 2.3 million ounces.