BHP, the world’s biggest miner, is preparing to search for a new chief executive officer in the coming months as Mike Henry heads toward the end of his tenure, reported Bloomberg.
Company insiders told Bloomberg that a change could come as soon as next year, and internal frontrunners for the role include Geraldine Slattery, president Australia, Vandita Pant, chief financial officer, and Ragnar Udd, chief commercial officer. The appointment of either Pant or Slattery would mark the first time that BHP is led by a woman, in an industry notorious for the lack of diversity in its top ranks.
Henry has led BHP since January 2020, so an early 2026 departure would mean he has completed a six-year tenure – roughly in line with his most recent predecessors. Henry’s successor would inherit some challenges, noted Bloomberg, including whether the miner can pursue aggressive spending plans while sustaining dividend and debt policies. BHP is currently planning to spend billions to halt a decline in copper production at its Escondida copper mine in Chile, further expand the Jansen potash mine in Canada, and develop copper projects in Argentina and Australia.
Source: Bloomberg