Brandon Craig: Meet the incoming CEO of BHP as he guides the world’s biggest miner into a red metal future

Brandon Craig is no stranger to BHP’s inner circle, having racked up a near 30-year career at The Big Australian. The incoming chief executive’s appointment comes as the world’s biggest miner grapples with the ripple effects of a war in the Middle East, a slower Chinese economy and a shift towards more aggressive growth in copper. The 53-year-old was born in South Africa and earned an engineering degree at the University of Natal — along with a masters in business leadership — before joining BHP in 1999. He cut his teeth across a raft of roles in leadership and operations, covering a diverse portfolio of commodities. Mr Craig worked in senior positions across maintenance, marketing, human resources and operations management, including the role of asset president of NSW Energy Coal in 2015. He was vice-president of BHP’s Maintenance and Engineering Centre of Excellence in Brisbane before being tapped in 2020 to replace Edgar Basto as asset president of the miner’s powerhouse WA Iron Ore division. The promotion earned him a seat on the nine-person executive leadership team, alongside president Australia Geraldine Slattery — who was also considered a contender to take the top job from Mike Henry — and Mr Basto, who became chief operating officer. Running the company’s giant iron ore portfolio in the Pilbara through years of pandemic disruption earned him a reputation for operational nous. While in Perth, he also became president of the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy. In late 2023, Mr Craig was named president Americas, a region that is central to the miner’s future as it seeks to increase its presence in copper. He currently oversees BHP’s operations and joint venture interests across Chile, Peru, Brazil, the US and Canada — home to its massive, multibillion-dollar Jansen potash project. Muriate of potash — the variant of potash the project will produce — is a potassium-rich salt used to make plant-based agricultural production more efficient and environmentally friendly. “Brandon has advanced BHP’s high quality growth options, increasing copper guidance for FY2026 and FY2027 and targeting around 2.5 million tonnes of copper equivalent production per year by the mid-2030s,” BHP said on Wednesday. “Under Brandon’s leadership, Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine, has extended its grade and production guidance through productivity improvements and a focus on operational excellence. “Brandon has overseen the creation of the Vicuña joint venture, a highly prospective project with the potential to be one of the world’s top copper and gold mines, as well as oversight of non-operated joint ventures in Brazil, Peru and the United States.” BHP earlier this year abandoned its pursuit of smaller rival Anglo American. Instead, it has doubled down on its existing growth options, including potash and copper, vital for the energy transition and the AI-driven tech boom. The red metal accounted for more than half of BHP’s profit for the first time in the six months through December. Iron ore — long the company’s mainstay and its most profitable business — will be a bigger headache for Mr Craig. While it still underpins the group’s earnings, China’s economy has been cooling, and BHP’s relationship with the country’s state-backed buyer has been turbulent over recent months, as the world’s largest consumer asserts its market clout. Mr Craig will start in the CEO’s role on July 1 with a base salary of $US1.9 million ($2.7m), plus bonuses. “He’s a young CEO, but he’s a 25-year-plus veteran at the company and he knows the business very well,” said Glyn Lawcock, head of metals and mining research at Barrenjoey Markets. “(Mike) Henry is one of the first CEOs in decades to have left behind a business with options. Craig now has optionality that he can champion. He’s got an empire to lead.”