Codelco Overhauls Its Leadership With Five New Vice Presidents and Four Division Chiefs

Chile's state-owned copper mining giant, Codelco, has overhauled its leadership team with five new vice presidents and four division chiefs. This major reshuffle comes after a year of challenges, including a fatal accident, a bookkeeping scandal, and declining ore grades.

Jorge Gómez, the newly appointed CEO, has split the company's mines into two operating blocks: northern operations, overseen by Lindor Quiroga Bugueño, and the center-south block led by Francisco Carvajal Palacios, former head of iron miner CMP.

Three additional vice presidents have been added to the team, responsible for mining resources, development and innovation, strategy and management control, and corporate affairs and sustainability. Many of these new leaders have come from within Codelco, with some hailing from the private mine Collahuasi, which Gómez previously managed.

Among the divisions receiving fresh leadership are El Teniente, Chuquicamata, Ventanas, and Ministro Hales. Most of these changes are set to take effect on September 1, 2026. The company is recovering from a production and reporting scandal, a deadly rock burst in 2025 at El Teniente, and years of declining ore grades.

Codelco's CEO, Jorge Gómez, emphasizes the importance of a team of excellent industry professionals, stressing the need for steady performance and accurate financial reporting. The company now produces about 1.332 million tonnes of copper annually, down from the target of 1.7 million tonnes, due to falling ore grades.

In addition to its copper operations, Codelco has entered a lithium partnership with private miner SQM, securing lithium rights in the world's richest lithium salt flat until 2060. This new venture aims to diversify Codelco's income streams and strengthen its position in the growing electric vehicle market.