America calling for BHP’s ex-nickel boss Jessica Farrell as incoming CEO Brandon Craig shuffles exec ranks

Perth product Jessica Farrell is back in the global mining spotlight after BHP promoted her to run its fast-growing, but problematic, North American business. Ms Farrell was given a low profile gig as BHP’s vice president of innovation in January last year after the mining giant shut its WA nickel division in late 2024 following a dramatic slump in prices for the battery metal. When she took the reins of the WA nickel division in August 2021, it was promoted by BHP as one of the company’s most important long-term growth avenues amid a worldwide transition towards electric vehicles. Ms Farrell, who is also a Fremantle Dockers director, was selected to be BHP’s inaugural North America president as part of a broader leadership reshuffle by incoming chief executive Brandon Craig, who starts the top job next week. BHP announced on Friday that Ms Farrell would bring her two decades of experience across a range of commodities and jurisdictions in her new role based in Washington DC. She started her career at Rio Tinto’s famed Argyle diamond mine in the Kimberley before climbing the ranks to run the miner’s key Dampier iron ore port. Ms Farrell then jumped shipped to BHP in 2019. BHP is splitting the role of president Americas, currently held by Mr Craig, into separate divisions for north and south “to allow a greater focus on each of these regions”. Ms Farrell will be thrown into the fire when she starts next Tuesday after BHP last week reported its third multibillion-dollar cost blowout at its giant Jansen potash mine in Canada. Jansen’s phase two expansion is now estimated to cost $US6.9b ($9.8b), which adds to a ballooning $US8.4b bill for stage one of the mine. Stage one is almost 50 per cent above the original budget. The miner’s risky bet on the fertiliser ingredient will see it book a $US2.3b writedown in its annual results. BHP’s other key North American asset is the Resolution copper project it owns in conjunction with Rio Tinto in the US state of Arizona. Resolution is touted by BHP as one of the largest undeveloped copper projects in the world, but its development has been constrained by objections from Native American tribes. Ms Farrell will also act as South America president while BHP starts a recruitment process to fill the role. Dan Heal, who is the current vice president of WA nickel and operational decarbonisation will be appointed the asset president of potash from August 1. Among the other executive leadership team changes, former WA Iron Ore president and president for minerals Australia Edgar Basto will move from his current role of chief operating officer to become chief enterprise performance officer. He will be responsible for BHP’s health safety and security and its operating system, as well as strengthening contractor safety. Geraldine Slattery, who had been tipped as a candidate to replace outgoing CEO Mike Henry, will continue as its Australia president. She will also take on responsibility for BHP’s copper assets in South Australia, bringing all of the Australian operating assets together under her leadership. Mr Craig — the former boss of the vast Pilbara’s iron ore division who was named as Mr Henry’s successor in March — said the changes “ensure that we continue to build organisational capacity, with the right mix of skills, experience and perspectives to deliver BHP’s strategy and pursue our growth agenda”. “Our operating environment is increasingly complex, but also rich in opportunity for companies that are best able to positively engage stakeholders, deploy capital to the right opportunities in a disciplined way and deliver safe, reliable operational performance,” he said. “As incoming CEO, I look forward to leading the talented people who make BHP a great company and I am confident that the new appointments will support BHP’s progress in strategy, operating performance, growth and our differentiated approach to social value creation — all in support of strong long-term shareholder returns.”