Alberto Calderon has been named chief executive officer of AngloGold Ashanti, the company announced.

Calderon assumes the position on Sept. 1, 2021, nearly a year after the departure of former CEO Kevin Dushnisky.

In a release, AngloGold Ashanti reported Calderon has more than two decades of executive leadership experience in the global mining sector. Until March of this year he was CEO of Orica, the world’s number one commercial explosives maker. He was previously a senior executive at the world’s largest mining company, BHP, where his roles included chief commercial officer and CEO of aluminium, nickel and corporate development; as well as CEO of Cerrejón, Colombia’s largest mining operation, and one of the largest coal mining operations in the world.
Christine Ramon will remain as Interim CEO until Calderon takes up his new position, before resuming her role as AngloGold Ashanti’s chief financial officer.

Maria Ramos, chairman of AngloGold Ashanti, said: “I am delighted to welcome Alberto as CEO of AngloGold Ashanti following a comprehensive global search in which we considered several excellent candidates. We are confident that, in Alberto, we have the right person to lead this company forward and realize its outstanding potential, drawing on his huge leadership experience in the resources sector across a variety of geographies.

“On behalf of the Board and the company, I would like to extend my gratitude to Christine for her tireless commitment through a particularly tumultuous period globally. Her leadership was critical in coordinating an effective response to the pandemic, keeping the company focused on our strategy and maintaining a strong financial position.” Calderon said. “AngloGold Ashanti brings together a high-quality portfolio and a strong commitment to deliver social, environmental and shareholder value that I relate to strongly on a personal level. I think the company has an exciting future and I look forward to working with the Board and the AngloGold Ashanti team around the world to deliver on this potential.

Calderon holds a Ph.D. in economics, a master of philosophy in economics and a master of economics from Yale University, a Juris Doctor in Law and Bachelor of Economics from Andes University in Colombia. His executive experience includes leadership roles across the mining, petroleum, and energy sectors. He was appointed CEO of Orica in May 2015 and had been a Board member of the company since 2013. He stepped down in February 2021, a year later than planned as he agreed to lead the company through the initial part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Calderon was an executive with the world’s leading diversified mining company, BHP. During his time with BHP, he held a number of key leadership positions, including group executive and chief executive aluminium, nickel and corporate development (2011 –2013), group executive and chief commercial officer (2007 –2011), with responsibility for acquisitions and divestments, marketing, supply and information management) and president diamonds and specialty products (2006 –2007). Alberto’s track record provides him direct experience in several of AngloGold Ashanti’s operating geographies. His leadership of BHP Billiton’s aluminium business, which had smelters in South Africa and Mozambique, gives him excellent working knowledge of South Africa and its economic and political landscape. He was also chief executive officer at Cerrejón Coal Company, an integrated thermal coal mine in his home country of Colombia (2002 –2006), and at the Colombian oil company, Ecopetrol (1999 –2002).Prior to this, Calderon held senior leadership positions in the International Monetary Fund and the Colombian government and has been a Board member of a range of private, public and non-government organizations