As he prepares to step down after six years at the helm of BHP, Mike Henry joins Francine Lacqua to discuss the future of mining, the race for critical minerals and leadership lessons that shaped his tenure. Henry explains why copper has become one of the most strategic resources, how artificial intelligence and the energy transition are transforming demand and why BHP walked away from its pursuit of Anglo American.<br>See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leading Through Uncertainty: Mike Henry's Final Lessons as BHP CEO 

Leaders with Francine Lacqua

# Full Transcript

**Podcast:** Leaders with Francine Lacqua

## Participants

- **Francine Lacqua** (Bloomberg)
- **Dylan Dreyer** (Today (NBC))
- **Mike Henry** (BHP)

## Transcript

We're living in a time where change isn't just constant, it's complex. It's non-linear, accelerated, volatile and interconnected. In other words, a Navi world. In the Navi world, change isn't something you can simply react to. It demands that you respond, adapt and lead. So the question is, will you shape the future or be shaped by it? Today's episode is brought to you by EY. With a full spectrum of services and solutions, EY and EY Parthenon teams can

give you the confidence to shape what's next. They help you unlock value by reimagining your business and realize transformation across the entire enterprise. Together, they're all in to help you shape the future with confidence. Begin your transformation journey today by visiting EY.com slash transformation. Hey everyone, I'm Dylan Dreyer, co-host of the third hour of today and mom to three wild boys. I've learned a lot in my years as a parent, mostly that I don't have it all figured out yet. And I'm not the

the only one. This is my new podcast, The Parent Chat. Each week I sit down with someone new for honest conversation and real world advice about parenting. I am over here just like winging it. Hey, I'm just trying not to screw my own kids up. I'm not giving you advice on how I'm not screw yours up. Search The Parent Chat on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio, news.

If you look back at the history of not just BHP, big companies in the sector. One of the lessons is that when a company gets boxed into a corner where it has to pursue M&A, that leads to all sorts of untold problems. I know how bad things can get when people chase after something. Or if you get worried that failing or being rejected on a transaction becomes a reputational issue, you end up in very deep water then and can cause yourself all sorts of problems.

I'm Francine Lacqua and this is Leaders with Francine Lacqua, the podcast that explores what drives the world's most influential people. Well, this week's guest is Mike Henry, the outgoing chief executive of BHP, the world's largest mining company. It's really a pivotal moment for the industry. Global demand for critical minerals is soaring, thanks to the energy transition and the AI boom. And major producers like BHP are actually finding it challenging to keep up.

Mike Henry has led the company through a particularly active and transformative period, spinning off its petroleum business, collapsing its steel-listed structure, and giving the green light to the vast Janssen potash project in Canada. So we get into all of those choices in our conversation, which we had back in January, before he announced he was stepping down.

We talk about leading a mining giant at such a consequential time, and what it's like when big acquisitions don't go you...

Leading Through Uncertainty: Mike Henry's Final Lessons as BHP CEO

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.

Leading Through Uncertainty: Mike Henry's Final Lessons as BHP CEO

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are findingedge in conversations you're not hearing.

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.