Ken MacKenzie will retire from the board of mining giant BHP (ASX:BHP) on 31 March 2025.
Ross McEwan has been elected to succeed as Chair, starting on the same day.
His appointment follows a formal Chair succession process led by BHP Senior Independent Director Gary Goldberg.
MacKenzie joined the board in September 2016 and has been Chair since September 2017. During this period, he has overseen the strategic transformation of BHP’s portfolio towards future-facing commodities, with a strong focus on safety, disciplined capital management, world-class capability and culture, and a differentiated approach to creating social value.
MacKenzie says during his tenure, BHP has become a simpler, more productive, and more resilient company, which is the result of a committed team focused on creating sustainable long-term value.
“Ross is an excellent choice as leader of the board, and I wish him every success in the role,” he says.
McEwan has been an independent non-executive director of BHP since 4 April 2024, and has over 30 years’ global executive experience, including in the financial services industry, with deep expertise in capital allocation, risk management and value creation in complex regulatory environments.
He was the CEO of National Australia Bank (from 2019 to April 2024) and Group CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland (from 2013 to 2019). Prior to that, he held executive roles at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, First NZ Capital Securities and National Mutual Life Association of Australasia / AXA New Zealand.
McEwan says under MacKenzie’s leadership, the company is more agile and well positioned for the future.
“Ken will be remembered for his strategic decision-making, active institutional and retail shareholder engagement and outstanding capacity to see value, whether that’s in strategy, portfolio, operational excellence or capital allocation,” he says.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: BHP & Stock
