BHP Group’s chief commercial officer, Rag Udd, is to leave the world’s biggest miner at the end of January, said Bloomberg News citing LinkedIn posts. Udd’s departure marks the most senior departure since Brandon Craig became CEO of BHP in July, the newswire said.
In a note to staff, Craig said Udd was moving on to pursue a new opportunity but gave no further details, confirming an earlier memo reported by Bloomberg. Udd’s own post announcing the exit likewise offered no specifics, said Bloomberg.
Udd began his career at BHP as a mining engineer in 1997 and held numerous roles before taking the Singapore-based commercial chief post in 2024, overseeing sales, marketing, procurement and related functions for the group’s key products.
His tenure atop the commercial division was dominated by a lengthy stand-off with China Mineral Resources Group, Beijing’s state-backed iron ore buyer, which triggered product restrictions and unsettled the market before a settlement was reached in April.
Previously, as president of BHP’s Americas operations, Udd oversaw major copper assets and the Jansen potash project in Canada, meant to give BHP entry into the fertiliser market but hit by repeated delays and rising costs.
Udd had been regarded as one of several internal contenders to succeed former CEO Mike Henry, a role that ultimately went to Craig, previously head of the Americas division.
Craig praised Udd’s “curiosity and his willingness to challenge our thinking,” adding that he “leaves behind a strong team and a lasting impact on our business.”
