BHP names Brandon Craig as new CEO

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

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

BHP (ASX: BHP), the world’s largest mining company, announced on Tuesday the appointment of Brandon Craig as its new chief executive officer, effective July 1.

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 around 17% per annum, and BHP returned approximately $80 billion to shareholders during Henry’s time in the role.

BHP’s top boss previously said he was moving on after the company’s aborted attempt to buy Anglo American (LSE: AAL) 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 (TSX: TECK.A/TECK.B) only to pull its bid three days later.

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

He led 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 chairman 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 maximize shareholder returns,” McEwan continued.

“We would like to recognize 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.”