BHP (ASX:BHP) is facing another senior leadership change, with Chief Commercial Officer Rag Udd set to leave the mining giant at the end of January.
Singapore-based Udd announced his departure in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday morning, saying he had decided to pursue a new opportunity outside the world’s biggest miner.
“I’ve made the decision to take up a new opportunity outside BHP,” he wrote in the post.
Udd’s departure will bring to an end a career of nearly three decades at BHP, having initially joined the company as a mining engineer in 1997.
He took over as Chief Commercial Officer in 2024, with responsibility for the sales and marketing of BHP’s key commodities, as well as procurement and other commercial functions.
China iron ore dispute
Udd’s tenure as commercial chief included a months-long dispute with China‘s state-backed iron ore buyer China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG).
The dispute led to restrictions on some BHP iron ore products and caused uncertainty across the market before the two sides concluded sales negotiations in April.
Prior to becoming Chief Commercial Officer, Udd served as BHP’s President Americas from 2020 to 2024.
In that role, he oversaw the company’s major copper operations in the Americas, as well as the Jansen potash project in Canada, which is scheduled to begin production in the middle of next year.
More changes expected
Udd’s exit comes amid a broader leadership refresh at BHP following the appointment of Brandon Craig as CEO in July.
Analysts cited by Reuters expect further high-profile departures as Craig reshapes the senior management team under his leadership.
Udd had previously been viewed by some as a potential contender for BHP’s top job before Craig was appointed to succeed the company’s previous chief executive.
Write to Jackson Chen at Mining.com.au
Image: BHP
