ANGLO American said Tom McCulley would become its new technical director, following Matt Daley’s decision to pursue a senior executive role outside the company.
Daley is to join South32 as deputy CEO from February next year before replacing the Australian firm’s current CEO Graham Kerr later in 2026.
McCulley, who will retain his current responsibilities for Anglo American’s Crop Nutrients business, will continue serving as a member of the company’s executive leadership team, said Anglo American.
Duncan Wanblad, CEO of Anglo, expressed confidence in the appointment, citing McCulley’s “decades-long experience across the extractives industry” as crucial to leading the company’s global technical disciplines from discovery through to processing, along with safety, health and environment operations.
“Tom’s outstanding technical and leadership capabilities position him well to support our operations in sustaining their much improved performance and identifying opportunities for further value enhancement,” Wanblad said.
The leadership change comes as Daley prepares to depart after eight years with Anglo American, where he has served as technical & operations director since 2023. He originally joined the company as group head of mining in 2017.
Wanblad acknowledged Daley’s contributions, particularly highlighting his “leadership in driving operational excellence” and championing safety improvement initiatives across the organisation.
To ensure continuity in operations, McCulley and Daley will collaborate over the coming months before Daley officially leaves Anglo American later in 2025.
This executive transition comes at a critical time for the mining giant as it navigates industry challenges including sustainability demands, operational efficiency pressures, and evolving market conditions.
