BHP reshuffles Queensland leadership, brings in NSW coal boss
BHP’s NSW coal boss, Adam Lancey, has been promoted to run the company’s challenging Queensland coking coal division, after his predecessor Mauro Neves left the company to conduct a pilgrimage.
Mr Lancey, a triathlon competitor who recently completed the New Zealand ironman, will take over leadership duties at the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance coking coal business on November 1.
The Daunia coal mine in Queensland is one of two put up for sale by BHP and its partner, Japan’s Mitsubishi.
Mr Neves spent seven years in senior leadership roles at BHP’s Escondida copper and Queensland coal divisions, but exited last month. He is understood to be spending time walking across a section of Europe.
The leadership transition puts Mr Lancey in charge of a coking coal division that has been buffeted by state and federal policy over the past year.
BHP’s Queensland coal division has had a fractious relationship with unions and faces more disruption with Labor overhauling industrial relations rules that apply to labour hire. It relies on BHP’s in-house labour hire company,, known as Operations Services, than any other division within the company.
BHP’s Queensland coal division has also had a difficult relationship with the state over the past 18 months after a big increase to coal royalty rates.
BHP and Mitsubishi run the mines under a 50:50 partnership and BHP chief Mike Henry said in February that BHP wanted to keep its best hard coking coal mines for the long haul, despite their big carbon footprint.
BHP is gradually selling its lower-quality, Queensland coking coal mines but says the coal from its best operations like Peak Downs and Saraji will enjoy strong demand for decades to come, including from the renewables sector.
Mr Lancey is
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