Barrick Mining (NYSE: B) announced the resignation of President and CEO Mark Bristow today. After nearly seven years at the helm, the South African-born mining veteran departs without explanation, leaving investors to speculate on what prompted such an unexpected move.
Effective immediately, Mark Hill, head of the company's Latin American and Asia-Pacific operations, has stepped in as interim CEO while the board begins a global search for a permanent replacement.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Mark for his leadership of Barrick. During his tenure, Mark strengthened our portfolio and helped position Barrick as a leading global producer of gold and copper. As a result, the Company is well-positioned for the next phase of our growth and value creation for all shareholders,” Chairman John Thorton said in a statement.
Bristow arrived in 2019 when Randgold Resources merged with the then-troubled Barrick. Bristow transformed an overleveraged company burdened by underperforming mines into a more focused producer with disciplined capital allocation.
Under his tenure, Barrick returned roughly $6.7 billion to shareholders and cut net debt by $4 billion. The crown jewel was the integration of Randgold's African operations and the establishment of six "Tier One" gold mines, projects that kept Barrick at the forefront of global output. On the copper side, the Lumwana expansion in Zambia and the restart of Reko Diq in Pakistan added depth to the portfolio.
Mali: The Minefield That Never Got Resolved
But it wasn't all smooth digging. Nowhere has the picture been more complicated than in Mali.
When Mali's military government rewrote mining codes in 2023, Barrick resisted demands for higher royalties and equity stakes. Negotiations collapsed. Tensions escalated to the point that four Barrick executives were jailed, exports were frozen, and local courts even issued an arrest warrant for Bristow himself. By mid-2025, Loulo-Gounkoto was placed under state control, and Barrick was required to take a $1 billion impairment charge.
"The failure of Barrick under Bristow to come to a resolution with the Malian government is weighing on the company. The new management should come to some sort of commercial agreement and sell the Malian assets to another miner since Barrick is, in effect, persona non grata there," Matthew Hasson, partner at the investment bank Hannam & Partners, said, according to Mining.com
Despite Bristow's operational successes, Barrick's stock hasn't kept up. While gold's stellar performance has been relatively recent, Barrick has lagged the long-term performance of top rival miners, such as Agnico Eagle and Newmont (NYSE: NEM).
Even so, Bristow leaves the company in better financial shape, with a stronger balance sheet and several growth projects underway. Yet the "portfolio puzzle" remains unsolved, making the CEO transition particularly critical.
Bristow's exit lands on the same day that Newmont announced a historic pivot of its own. The world's largest gold miner named COO Natascha Viljoen as its incoming CEO, effective January 1, 2026, when she will replace Tom Palmer. Viljoen, a former Anglo American Platinum chief, will become the first woman to lead Newmont in its 104‑year history.
Price Watch: As of 2 PM ET, Barrick was trading at $33.82, down 1.90% for the day.
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