New appointment announced: Ben van Beurden to take over as Lead Director from Brett Harvey at Barrick.
Barrick Mining Corporation, a leading global mining, exploration, and development company, has announced the appointment of Ben van Beurden as the Lead Independent Director of its Board. Van Beurden, who previously served as the CEO of Shell, brings nearly four decades of leadership in energy and natural resources to his new role at Barrick.
Van Beurden's appointment reflects a commitment to board renewal at Barrick. His global perspective and experience in sustainable business management are highly valued, particularly as Barrick navigates pressures for sustainability and adapts its business in response to global energy transition trends.
At Shell, van Beurden led a major strategic shift, consolidating the company’s assets and elevating its leadership in renewables and cleaner energies. This experience is relevant for Barrick, a major mining company, as it seeks to advance sustainability and energy transition efforts. While specific initiatives at Barrick since his May 2025 board entry are not yet detailed, his role as Lead Independent Director signals that he will have significant influence on governance, strategic oversight, and potentially steering Barrick’s efforts towards greener, more energy-efficient mining practices and investments aligned with energy transition principles.
In addition to his role at Barrick, van Beurden is a senior advisor on energy transition investments at KKR and the Chairman of Clariant, a Swiss specialty chemicals company. These roles further reflect his expertise in guiding companies through sustainability-oriented transformations, which is valuable for Barrick in addressing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria increasingly important to mining companies.
Brett Harvey, a valued member of Barrick’s Board since 2005 and Lead Director since 2013, will continue to serve on the Board. Harvey has been a driving force in strengthening Barrick’s governance, fostering board renewal, and advancing diversity. John Thornton, Barrick’s Chairman, praised Harvey’s exceptional leadership and steadfast commitment to sound governance.
Thornton also expressed that van Beurden’s appointment as Lead Director would build on the valuable insights he has already brought to Barrick’s Board’s deliberations. Van Beurden's strategic acumen is praised by Thornton, with Barrick operating in 18 countries and five continents, including six Tier One gold mines, and being the largest gold producer in the United States.
Barrick creates real, long-term value for stakeholders through responsible mining and disciplined growth. Barrick shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'B' and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol 'ABX'. For further information, contact Kathy du Plessis, the contact for group investor and media relations at Barrick.
[1] Source: Barrick Mining Corporation Press Release, May 2025 [2] Source: Shell Plc Annual Report, 2024 [3] Source: KKR Press Release, June 2025 [4] Source: Clariant AG Annual Report, 2024 [5] Source: International Energy Agency, "Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector", 2021
- As Barrick Mining Corporation continues to prioritize sustainability and react to global energy transition trends, Van Beurden's extensive experience in finance, particularly his successful strategic shift at Shell towards renewables and cleaner energies, will be instrumental in furthering Barrick's business transition towards greener, more energy-efficient practices.
- With his expertise in guiding companies through sustainability-oriented transformations, van Beurder's roles at KKR and Clariant exemplify how he applies his knowledge in finance and industry to help businesses navigate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, which are increasingly significant for companies in the mining sector.
