Johan van Jaarsveld

I lead the Technical Function for BHP as Chief Technical Officer, with responsibility for our global technology function, the digital function, the engineering and maintenance, major capital projects, resource and geoscience centers of excellence, exploration, and value engineering. Before this role, I spent four years as BHP's Chief Development Officer, leading Group Strategy, capital allocation, M&A, business development, innovation, and founded BHP Ventures and BHP Xplor — work that shaped how I think about technology and digital today: every initiative has to earn its place through disciplined capital allocation and a clear path to operational value.My path to BHP ran through investment banking and finance — Goldman Sachs, Blackstone and Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong, and business development at Barrick Gold — giving me a rigorous, investor's lens on mining economics that I bring to decisions about capital investments, AI in hard assets, technology, automation, electrification and exploration today.I hold a PhD in Extractive Metallurgy and a Masters in Finance and have spent over 25 years working across Asia, the Americas, South Africa and Australia.