Chile's Codelco shuffles leadership as new CEO tightens mining oversight
SANTIAGO - Chilean state miner Codelco unveiled a sweeping management reshuffle on Friday, installing a senior executive at its troubled El Teniente mine and reorganizing oversight of its operations.
The moves underscored new CEO Jorge Gomez's push to tighten control as delays, safety concerns and reporting scrutiny weigh on the Codelco recovery.
Codelco confirmed a Reuters report earlier on Friday on the shakeup, with Julio Diaz, currently head of mineral resources, development and innovation, set to become general manager of El Teniente. Mario Quiñones, who previously worked with Gomez at copper miner Collahuasi, will replace Diaz.
Gomez, who took over in July, has vowed to overhaul operations after scrutiny over irregularities in 2025 production figures and as delays to key projects cloud Codelco's ability to lift output in coming years.
OPERATIONS SPLIT
Codelco said it would split its operations leadership into two positions from September 1, separating its northern mines from its center-south operations.
Under the new structure, Codelco veteran Lindor Quiroga will become head of northern operations, overseeing the Chuquicamata, Ministro Hales, Radomiro Tomic and Gabriela Mistral mines. Francisco Carvajal, a former executive at iron-ore producer CMP, will lead center-south operations, covering Salvador, Andina, Ventanas and El Teniente.
In February, Codelco vowed a "radical" reorganization at El Teniente after an internal audit found serious breaches of duty tied to a 2023 accident and flaws in reporting to the mining regulator. In May, the miner reported inconsistencies in its 2025 production report, with output improperly logged from its Chuquicamata division and Ministro Hales mine.
