(Reuters) - Canadian miner Sherritt International Corp on Tuesday named industry veteran Leon Binedell as its new chief executive officer, replacing David Pathe who had announced in November his decision to step down from the role. The appointment of Binedell, who is set to take charge of the nickel and cobalt mining company from June 1, comes at a time when demand and prices for metals used in electric vehicles have surged. Originally from South Africa, Binedell has worked in the mining industry for 25 years and was most recently the Chief Financial Officer at Canadian gold producer Guyana Goldfields Inc. He has been credited with re-negotiating some operating and supply contracts at Guyana Goldfields along with developing finance and governance practices. Binedell has also worked at a mining-focused private equity fund and advised a portfolio of 25 companies representing $2 billion in assets under management. Reporting by Rithika Krishna in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.