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BHP (ASX: BHP) chief financial officer Vandita Pant will leave the mining giant early next year, marking another significant leadership change as chief executive officer Brandon Craig continues to put his stamp on the company’s executive team.
Pant will step down following the release of BHP’s half-year results on February 16, 2027, with Adrian Wood appointed as her successor effective February 17.
She will remain with BHP until March 29 to support the transition, bringing to an end a decade with the company.
The departure is significant given Pant’s standing within BHP, having previously been mentioned in some quarters as a possible successor to former chief executive Mike Henry before Craig secured the top job.
It also comes as another senior executive, Ragnar Udd, prepares to leave BHP to become chief executive officer of lithium giant Albemarle.
Wood’s appointment brings an experienced internal candidate into the finance portfolio as Craig establishes his leadership team.
Currently vice president projects, Minerals Australia, Wood joined BHP in 2015 and has previously served as vice president finance, Minerals Australia, and group investor relations officer.
He has more than 25 years of experience spanning investment banking and corporate roles in Australia and the United Kingdom, including positions with UBS in London and Macquarie Group.
Craig said Wood’s financial and operational experience would support BHP’s strategic priorities.
“Adrian has a strong track record of financial management, strategic thinking and commercial capability,” Craig said.
“His appointment ensures that we continue to build organisational capacity, with the right mix of skills, experience and perspectives to deliver BHP’s strategy.”
Pant joined BHP in 2016 as group treasurer and head of Europe before becoming chief commercial officer in 2019.
Her subsequent appointment as CFO placed her at the centre of the company’s capital allocation decisions, balancing shareholder returns with investment in future growth.
Craig credited Pant with strengthening financial discipline across the business.
“This discipline and financial rigour in decision-making has enabled BHP to deliver healthy shareholder returns, invest in future growth and has put us in a strong position for the future,” he said.
In a separate LinkedIn statement, Craig praised Pant’s leadership and contribution.
“I have valued Vandita’s advice and support enormously, as well as the warmth, generosity and genuine care for people she brings to her leadership,” he said.
The changes place renewed attention on BHP’s executive leadership as Craig takes the company forward, with Wood assuming responsibility for the financial strategy and capital allocation decisions underpinning its growth ambitions.
Read more: Craig’s ambition ‘to win the next decade for BHP’
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