Graham Kerr took South32 public when BHP demerged it in 2015, and he has run it ever since. His decade-plus tenure is rare among major mining CEOs, and the portfolio he has built looks nothing like the one he started with.
Coal has been dropped, and now the focus is on manganese, aluminium, copper, zinc and other commodities with long-term green energy demand.
Operations span Australia, southern Africa and South America. South32’s share price has consistently outperformed those of competitors during Graham’s tenure, reflecting investor confidence in how he has run the business.
Graham is stepping down as CEO later in 2026 after more than a decade in the role. The transition to his successor, Matthew Daley, is being managed carefully, with Graham remaining in post until Matthew is ready to take over.
6. Zou Laichang
Role: Chairman
Company: Zijin Mining
Operations: Gold, copper, zinc
Regions: China, Papua New Guinea, Australia