Top 10: Mining Leaders in North America
10 Tristan Pascall
Company: First Quantum Minerals
Country: Canada
Market cap: US$8.94bn
First Quantum Minerals primarily mines copper, with operations in Africa, Australia, and Latin America. The company employs over 20,000 people globally. Tristan Pascall joined First Quantum in 2007 and became CEO in May 2022. Previously, he held various site-based roles within the company. Under his leadership, First Quantum has focused on optimising its existing operations and advancing its growth projects, particularly in Zambia and Panama.
09 Lourenco Goncalves
Company: Cleveland-Cliffs
Market cap: $10.20bn
Country: US
Cleveland-Cliffs is North America's largest flat-rolled steel producer, with a significant presence in the automotive and construction industries.
Lourenco Goncalves has been Chairman, President and CEO since 2014. He led the company's transformation from an iron ore miner to a vertically integrated steel producer through strategic acquisitions, including AK Steel and ArcelorMittal USA.
Goncalves has been a vocal advocate for the US steel industry and trade policies. Prior to Cleveland-Cliffs, he served as CEO of Metals USA Holdings Corp., where he successfully led the company through its initial public offering.
08 Jonathan Price
Company: Teck Resources
Country: Canada
Market Cap: $23.67bn
Teck Resources is a diversified mining company that produces copper, zinc, steelmaking coal and energy. It employs approximately 10,000 people and operates mines in Canada, Chile, Peru, and the US.
Jonathan Price joined in 2020 as Executive VP and Chief Financial Officer before assuming the CEO role in September 2022. Prior to Teck, he held senior positions at BHP, including Chief Transformation Officer.
Under Price's leadership, Teck has focused on expanding its copper production, notably through the development of the Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 project in Chile, to meet growing demand driven by the global transition to clean energy.
07 Ammar Al-Joundi
Company: Agnico Eagle Mines
Country: Canada
Market Cap: $24.93bn
Agnico Eagle Mines is a gold producer with operations in Canada, Finland, Mexico and Australia. It employs 10,000 people globally, with significant presence in Canada's Abitibi gold belt.
Al-Joundi joined Agnico Eagle in 2015 as President and was appointed CEO in February 2022. Previously, he held senior roles at Barrick Gold Corporation.
Under his leadership, Agnico Eagle completed a $13.5bn merger with Kirkland Lake Gold in 2021, consolidating the company's position in the Canadian gold mining sector. Al-Joundi's focus has been on operational efficiency and strategic growth through acquisitions.
06 J Kent Masters
Company: Albemarle Corporation
Country: US
Market cap: $30.23bn
With a history that extends back to 1887, Albemarle Corporation is a speciality chemicals company that develops, manufactures, and markets advanced materials, chemicals, and products used in a range of industries, including lithium-ion batteries, electronics, and energy storage.
J. Kent Masters has been President and CEO since 2020. He is spearheading the company's growth in the lithium market, capitalising on the increasing demand for electric vehicle batteries. Masters has focused on expanding Albemarle's production capacity and developing sustainable mining practices.
Prior to joining Albemarle, he served as CEO of Foster Wheeler AG and held executive positions at Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, bringing extensive experience in the chemical and energy industries.
05 Ken Seitz
Company: Nutrien
Country: Canada
Market cap: $31.73bn
Nutrien is a global fertiliser producer and agricultural retailer headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The company mines potash and produces nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers. It employs over 23,500 people and operates in North America, South America, and Australia.
CEO Ken Seitz joined Nutrien in 2019 as Executive Vice President of Potash before becoming CEO in August 2022. Previously, he led Canpotex, a potash exporter. Under Seitz's leadership,
Nutrien has increased potash production to address global supply challenges and expanded its retail network in Brazil
04 Mark Bristow
Company: Barrick Gold
Country: Canada
Market Cap: $35.76bn
Barrick Gold employs 21,000 people and operates mines in 13 countries, with significant presence in North America, South America, Africa, and Papua New Guinea.
Mark Bristow joined Barrick in 2019 following its merger with Randgold Resources, where he had been CEO since its founding in 1995.
Prior to his mining career, Bristow was a commissioned officer in the South African Army. Under his leadership, Barrick has focused on streamlining operations, reducing debt, and implementing a decentralised management structure to improve efficiency and local decision-making at mine sites.
03 Tom Palmer
Company: Newmont Corporation
Country: Canada
Market Cap: $55.9bn
Newmont Corporation is a global mining company that produces gold, copper, silver, zinc, and lead. The firm employs over 31,000 people and operates mines in North America, South America, Australia, and Africa.
Tom Palmer joined in 2014 as Senior VP for Indonesia before progressing through various leadership roles. Prior to Newmont, he held senior positions at Rio Tinto, including Chief Operating Officer of its Pilbara iron ore operations.
Under Palmer's leadership, Newmont has focused on optimising its portfolio and improving operational efficiency, notably through the implementation of advanced technologies across its mining operations.
02 Oscar Gonzalez Rocha
Company: Southern Copper
Country: US
Market cap: $57.24bn
Formed in Delaware in 1952, Southern Copper Corp is one of the largest copper producers in the world and has mining operations in Peru, Mexico, and Chile.
Oscar Gonzalez Rocha has been President and CEO since 2004. Under his leadership, the company has significantly expanded its copper production and reserves, particularly in Peru and Mexico. He has guided the company through major capital projects and navigated challenging regulatory environments.
Prior to his current role, he held various executive positions within Grupo Mexico, Southern Copper's parent company, accumulating extensive experience in the mining industry.
01 Richard Adkerson
Company: Freeport-McMoRan
Country: US
Market cap: $59.66bn
Freeport-McMoRan is a mining company that explores, develops, and produces copper, gold, and molybdenum. It has mining operations in North and South America, Indonesia, and Africa.
Richard Adkerson has been President and CEO since 2003. He led the company through its transformative acquisition of Phelps Dodge in 2007, establishing Freeport as one of the world's largest copper producers. Adkerson has navigated complex negotiations with the Indonesian government regarding the Grasberg mine.
Before becoming CEO, he served as Freeport's Chief Financial Officer and played a key role in the company's expansion and financial strategies.
