Appointment of Non-Executive Director

For immediate release: Monday 26 March 2012

Strategic Minerals Plc

("Strategic Minerals" or the "Company")

Appointment of Non-Executive Director

The Board of Strategic Minerals Plc (AIM:SML), the magnetite focused iron ore producer and exploration company, is delighted to announce that George Cardona has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Company, with immediate effect.

Mr Cardona has extensive experience in strategic advice, finance and general management having served as a board member for a range of finance and natural resources companies.

An Oxford University graduate and formerly a Special Adviser to the British Treasury, Mr Cardona spent the first half of his career in banking and politics before spending 15 years with HSBC performing several managerial roles around the world. In 2000 he left HSBC and formed Cardona Lloyd & Co, a corporate finance advisory and asset management company, which he ran for 7 years. From 2006 he became a Director and eventually Chairman of Linea Limited, a privately owned company with interests in companies such as OJSC EuroChem Mineral and Chemical Company, OJSC Siberian Coal Energy Company and K+S AG, Germany (a DAX-30 listed mining company). He has been a director of a number of other listed companies both in the UK and around the world, including Renewable Energy Generation Limited and Martin Currie Pacific Trust plc.

Chairman of Strategic Minerals, Steven Sanders, commented:

"We are delighted to have Mr. Cardona join our board. He is a highly esteemed and respected individual whose wealth of experience in both the financial sector and natural resources sector will add great value to our board as well as our company's vision."

George Spyridon Cardona (aged 60) is or has been a director of the following companies in the last 5 years:

Current Directorships:

OJSC Siberian Coal Energy Company

Linetrust PTC Limited

Linea Limited

Valise Limited

OJSC EuroChem Mineral and Chemical Company

Hamilton Jets Limited

Hamilton Art Limited

K+S AG

Donalink Limited

EuroChem A.M.

Erglis Limited

Harewood House Limited

Valton Limited

SUEK plc

Siberian Energy Investments Limited

Directorships within the last 5 years:

Cardona Lloyd & Co Limited

Cardona Lloyd (Guernsey) Limited

Cardona Lloyd Hedge Portfolio Limited

Martin Currie Pacific Trust plc

Renewable Energy Generation Limited

MDM Bank

Linebrook Limited

MDM Holding AG

Linesey Limited

Cardona Lloyd Europe LLP

Antilles Limited

Greencorp SA

Diversified Macro Solutions plc

Visioninc Limited

Mr Cardona holds 4,084,030 ordinary shares in the Company.

For further information:

About Strategic Minerals

Strategic Minerals plc (AIM: SML) is developing a portfolio of projects that provide near term production along with those that potentially offer longer term capital gains. Strategic Minerals currently holds iron ore stockpile assets in North America and exploration properties in Australia. In March 2012, the Company signed a significant off-take agreement with Glencore AG for its Cobre Project in North America.

www.strategicminerals.net