Miner BHP Group's chief transformation officer to depart

[MELBOURNE] BHP Group said on Friday that its chief transformation officer Jonathan Price would be leaving next year, as the miner shifts responsibility for the strategy away from the executive leadership team.

Mr Price's departure is the second leadership exit announced in a week, after BHP said on Monday that chief technology officer Diane Jurgens would depart the company early next year.

The shake-up comes as incoming chief executive Mike Henry prepares to take the reins of the world's biggest miner when Andrew Mackenzie officially steps down at the end of the year.

Over the past 18 months, BHP's transformation strategy has allowed it to improve safety and reliability, lower costs, and boost returns, the company said in a statement on Friday.

BHP had highlighted the strategy as recently as October, when Mr Price gave a speech at a Melbourne mining conference about the ways the company was "transforming the core" of its business.

A successful execution of that strategy was expected by investors and analysts to position Mr Price as a strong contender for the top job after Mr Henry.

"Transformation" is now the responsibility of individual asset and function leaders, the company said.

Mr Price will oversee the transition of the transformation programs over the first half of 2020, after which he will move back to the UK with his family, BHP said.

REUTERS