BHP names Brandon Craig as new CEO

Staff Writer | March 17, 2026 | 3:14 pm Careers News Top Companies Australia Iron Ore

Next BHP CEO Brandon Craig, pictured in front of the company’s Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan. Credit: BHP.

The Board of BHP (ASX: BHP) announced Tuesday that Brandon Craig will become Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a Director of BHP Group on July 1 2026.

Craig will succeed the current CEO, Mike Henry, who will step down after taking the helm in 2019.

Henry oversaw a major reshaping of BHP’s portfolio, including the exit from petroleum, simplification of its dual-listed structure and a shift towards future-facing commodities such as copper and potash during his six-and-a-half-year tenure.

Average total shareholder returns were ~17% per annum, and BHP returned ~$80 billion to shareholders during Henry’s time in the role.

BHP’s top boss said he was moving on after the company’s aborted attempt to buy Anglo American Plc in December 2025.

Henry’s announcement came four weeks after BHP made a last-minute pitch to prevent the smaller rival from pursuing its combination with Canada’s Teck Resources Ltd., only to pull its bid three days later.

Craig led BHP’s largest division, iron ore, during the pandemic before becoming president of the Americas operations in 2024.

He lead the company’s growth strategy in future facing commodities across Canada, the US and South America. During his time in the role, BHP became the world’s largest copper producer and advanced high quality growth options in copper and potash.

“We are very pleased an executive of Brandon Craig’s calibre and extensive experience has been appointed as our new CEO to lead the execution of our strategy,” BHP Chair, Ross McEwan said in a news release.

“I am confident that his discipline and focus will continue to drive BHP’s high-performance culture and advance the company’s unrivalled pipeline of growth options to maximise shareholder returns,” McEwan said.

“We would like to recognise the outstanding contribution of Mike Henry to BHP as CEO. Under his leadership, BHP has transformed into a safer and more productive company, financially strong and sharply focused on shareholder value and social value.”