25 Influential Leaders in Gold Mining, ANZ 2026

Last updated: June 2026

Introduction

Australia and New Zealand are home to some of the most important gold mining operations on earth, and the leaders shaping those operations are navigating one of the most extraordinary periods in the sector's history. As of June 2026, gold has traded at record highs for sustained periods, Australia remains among the world's top gold producers with output projected to grow toward 13.2 million ounces by 2030, and New Zealand is experiencing a genuine mining renaissance after years of regulatory restraint. The 25 people on this list are at the centre of that story.

This is not a list of the largest companies or the most famous names in global mining. It is a list of the people who are actively shaping what gold mining looks like in Australia and New Zealand right now: through the companies they lead, the culture they are building, the deals they are executing, the advocacy they are driving, and the decisions they are making in 2025 and 2026 that will define the sector's next decade.

As of June 2026, New Zealand's gold export revenues have nearly tripled in three years to NZ$1.83 billion, and the gold price surge of 2025 created extraordinary conditions that rewarded operational discipline and punished the absence of it. Australia is projected to produce approximately 340 tonnes of gold in 2025-26, contributing to a mining sector that accounts for more than 12% of Australian GDP. The leaders on this list are the ones who built something worth following before the price got there and who have used that environment to advance genuinely important projects and organisations.

Each person was selected on the basis of a documented, active contribution to the Australian and New Zealand gold industry through leadership, advocacy, research, innovation, or community engagement in 2025 or 2026. Every role, title, and organisational name has been verified against current primary sources within the last 12 months. This is not a ranked list.

For those looking to develop the leadership capability of their gold mining executive teams, Jonno White, author of Step Up or Step Out (10,000+ copies sold) and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, works with mining organisations on executive offsites, Working Genius facilitation, and leadership development. Reach Jonno at jonno@consultclarity.org.

Why Gold Mining Leadership Matters Right Now

The stakes for effective leadership in ANZ gold mining have rarely been higher. Australia is projected to produce approximately 340 tonnes of gold in 2025-26, and gold contributes to the broader mining sector that accounts for more than 12% of Australian GDP. The decisions made by the leaders profiled here determine how that production grows, how safely it is extracted, how well communities benefit, and how responsibly the land is managed when operations end.

New Zealand's story is newer but rapidly accelerating. The government's target of doubling mineral export revenues to NZ$3 billion by 2035 depends heavily on gold, and major projects at Waihi North (OceanaGold), Bendigo-Ophir (Santana Minerals), Snowy River (Endura Mining), and Reefton (Rua Gold) are all advancing through consenting and development processes that will determine whether that ambition is realised.

The gold price surge of 2025, which saw average realised prices climb from around US$2,858 per ounce in Q1 to above US$4,000 by year-end, created a genuine test for leadership teams across the sector. Companies that had built operational discipline through leaner years thrived. Others found that price tailwinds could not paper over execution gaps. In gold mining, as in every industry, price is never a substitute for leadership quality.

For gold mining organisations that want to invest in their leadership culture, Jonno White facilitates executive team offsites and Working Genius workshops for mining companies. Whether virtual or face to face, international travel is often far more affordable than clients expect. Email jonno@consultclarity.org.

How This List Was Compiled

Each person on this list was selected for a documented, fact-checked contribution to gold mining in Australia or New Zealand through leadership, advocacy, research, community engagement, or innovation in 2025 or 2026. Selection prioritised active engagement rather than historical prominence alone. Every role, title, and organisational name was verified against primary sources within the last 12 months. The list deliberately includes peak body leaders, advocacy voices, sustainability practitioners, and New Zealand exploration figures alongside the major company executives, because the people shaping ANZ gold are not limited to the boardrooms of the largest producers.

Category 1: The Producers

The CEOs and Managing Directors of Australia's major gold companies are making the decisions that will shape national gold output for the next decade. From transformational acquisitions to operational rebuilds, these are the people determining how Australia performs as a gold-producing nation.

1. Lawrie Conway

Evolution Mining

Lawrie Conway is Managing Director and CEO of Evolution Mining, one of Australia's leading gold and copper producers, with operations across Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, and the Red Lake operation in Ontario, Canada. He moved from Chief Financial Officer to the top role in January 2023 and has focused his tenure on operational discipline and cost management in a rising gold price environment.

His approach to running Evolution is grounded in financial rigour developed across nearly a decade as CFO. The company reported excellent full-year results for FY25, and Conway has consistently prioritised capital discipline over acquisition-led growth. His active LinkedIn presence includes commentary on industry events, graduate programs, and the company's sustainability commitments, reflecting a CEO who engages publicly with the workforce and the sector's challenges.

2. Wayne Bramwell

Westgold Resources

Wayne Bramwell is Managing Director and CEO of Westgold Resources and Chair of the Gold Industry Group. With nearly 30 years of experience spanning operations, development, and exploration, he executed one of the most significant strategic moves in Australian mid-tier gold in 2024: the merger between Westgold and Canada's Karora Resources, uniting the Beta Hunt mine with the Big Bell, Bluebird, and Great Fingall operations under a single team.

Westgold reported record half-year results for the period to December 2025, with A$1,237 million in sales and 195,355 ounces of production. Bramwell has publicly framed the company's ambition as building the foundations of a 400,000-ounce-per-year producer. His dual role as GIG Chair makes him one of the most influential figures not just in Westgold itself but across the entire Australian gold community.

3. Jim Beyer

Regis Resources

Jim Beyer is Managing Director and CEO of Regis Resources, a Western Australian gold producer with projects in New South Wales and Western Australia. A trained mining engineer, he was CEO of Mount Gibson Iron for six years and has led Regis since 2018, overseeing the company's transition through a complex period that included a significant hedge book and the development of new assets at Tropicana and Duketon.

The defining development of his current tenure is the proposed merger of equals with Vault Minerals, announced in 2026, which would create Australia's third-largest primary ASX-listed gold producer with a pro-forma market capitalisation of approximately A$10.7 billion and annual production of more than 700,000 ounces. Beyer is to lead the combined organisation. He has also driven the reinstatement of ore reserves at the McPhillamys project in New South Wales, identifying an alternative development pathway after years of approvals difficulty.

4. Darren Stralow

Bellevue Gold

Darren Stralow is Managing Director and CEO of Bellevue Gold, one of the most sustainability-focused gold producers in Australia. A mining engineer who was previously Chief Development Officer at Northern Star Resources, he has led Bellevue since December 2021 and overseen its transition from explorer to producer.

His leadership at Bellevue has been defined by an industry-leading commitment to decarbonising operations, including targeting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through a hybrid power system designed to achieve approximately 80% renewable energy penetration for the Bellevue Gold Project in Western Australia. He has served on the GIG Board since 2024, and Bellevue's approach to sustainable mine design has been widely cited as a model for what the next generation of Australian gold mines can look like.

5. Mark Zeptner

Ramelius Resources

Mark Zeptner is Managing Director and CEO of Ramelius Resources, a gold producer he has led since 2014. Educated at the Western Australian School of Mines in Kalgoorlie, he spent his earlier career in senior roles at WMC and Gold Fields before joining Ramelius as Chief Operating Officer in 2012.

The transformational move of his tenure was the A$2.4 billion acquisition of Spartan Resources in July 2025, which brought the high-grade Dalgaranga gold project into the portfolio and positioned Ramelius toward its vision of producing more than 500,000 ounces per year. He has been consistent in his public commentary on the importance of profitability over production scale: "It matters less about how many ounces you produce, but more how much money you make, and the margin." The company has reported strong production delivery across its Mt Magnet operations in 2025 and 2026 as the Dalgaranga integration advances.

6. Raleigh Finlayson

Genesis Minerals

Raleigh Finlayson is Executive Chair of Genesis Minerals, the Kalgoorlie-based gold producer he has been central to building since 2022. He transitioned from Managing Director to Executive Chair in January 2026 as the company entered a new operational phase. His background before Genesis includes 14 years at Saracen Mineral Holdings as COO and then MD, during which Saracen grew from a market capitalisation of approximately A$53 million to approximately A$6 billion before the 2021 merger with Northern Star.

At Genesis, his hub-and-spoke development model in the Leonora and Laverton gold districts has produced strong results. By December 2025, the company had grown its mineral resources to 18.9 million ounces and ore reserves to 4.4 million ounces. The A$639 million proposed acquisition of Magnetic Resources in early 2026 further extended the Leonora portfolio. His active LinkedIn presence in 2026 confirms ongoing engagement with the industry and the Genesis growth story.

7. Shaun Day

Greatland Resources

Shaun Day is Managing Director of Greatland Resources, the gold and copper producer that transformed through its 2024 acquisition of the Telfer gold mine and adjacent Havieron development project from Newmont. He was previously CFO of Northern Star Resources, where he helped steer the company's market capitalisation from AU$700 million to AU$8 billion.

Greatland generated more than A$600 million in operating cash flow within seven months of completing the Telfer acquisition, a performance that substantially exceeded early analyst projections. Havieron represents one of the most significant gold-copper development projects in Western Australia, and Day has led the company's dual-listing on the ASX in 2025 and a major investor engagement program including a Town Hall Q&A in April 2026 covering the company's strategic direction.

8. Mark Clark

Capricorn Metals

Mark Clark is Executive Chairman and CEO of Capricorn Metals, which operates the low-cost Karlawinda Gold Project in Western Australia and is advancing the Mt Gibson Gold Project in the Mid West region. He assumed CEO responsibilities in May 2025 and has more than three decades of experience in Australian gold, including building Regis Resources from explorer to a 300,000-ounce-per-year producer as MD from 2009 to 2016.

Under his leadership, Capricorn has maintained a sharp focus on operational efficiency at Karlawinda, which generated record quarterly cash flow of A$80.8 million in early 2025, while advancing permitting for Mt Gibson. The company's disciplined capital approach has earned consistent recognition in Western Australia's Power 500 annual listing of influential business leaders for the resources sector.

Category 2: Global Leaders Shaping ANZ Gold

Several of the most significant gold mining operations in Australia and New Zealand are operated by companies headquartered internationally. The executives leading those operations shape the on-the-ground reality of Australian and New Zealand gold production.

9. Natascha Viljoen

Newmont Corporation

Natascha Viljoen became President and CEO of Newmont Corporation on 1 January 2026, making her the first woman to lead the world's largest gold company in its more than 100-year history. She joined Newmont in 2023 as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the integration of the Newcrest Mining portfolio following Newmont's approximately US$19.2 billion acquisition. Newmont's Australian operations include Boddington in Western Australia, Tanami in the Northern Territory, and Cadia in New South Wales.

Her career was built on technical depth, having started as a metallurgical engineer and held senior leadership roles at Anglo American Platinum, BHP, and Lonmin across southern Africa. Her active LinkedIn presence in 2026 includes commentary on site visits, operational leadership, and the role of diversity in building high-performance mining teams. Newmont produced 6.8 million ounces of gold in 2024, and under her leadership the company is focused on running its streamlined portfolio of world-class operations consistently and well.

10. Gerard Bond

OceanaGold

Gerard Bond is President and CEO of OceanaGold, an intermediate gold and copper producer whose Macraes and Waihi operations make it New Zealand's largest gold mining company. He took on the CEO role in April 2022 and oversaw an extraordinary period of financial performance in 2025, with the company generating record net profit and record free cash flow as the gold price surged.

His leadership has been closely associated with OceanaGold's New Zealand growth strategy. The Waihi North Project, including the high-grade Wharekirauponga underground mine, became the first project approved under New Zealand's Fast-Track Approvals Act in December 2025. In April 2026, he confirmed OceanaGold would contribute approximately NZ$200 million in tax and royalties to the New Zealand Government from 2025 gold production, one of the most concrete demonstrations of gold mining's economic benefit to the country. The company also listed on the NYSE in April 2026.

11. Ion Hann

Agnico Eagle Mines

Ion Hann is Vice President of Australian Operations at Agnico Eagle Mines, responsible for the Fosterville Gold Mine near Bendigo, Victoria. Fosterville is one of the highest-grade underground gold mines in the world, the largest gold producer in Victoria, and a cornerstone asset for Agnico Eagle, the world's third-largest gold producer.

His leadership at Fosterville navigated a four-year environmental effects statement process for the Sustained Operations Project, which received Victorian Government ministerial endorsement in May 2025, securing the mine's operational future for at least another decade. Fosterville has produced more than 4.4 million ounces of gold to date, employs more than 800 people with most residing locally in the Bendigo region, and works with over 620 local suppliers contributing more than A$256 million to the broader Victorian economy. The historic Bakaru Wayaparrangu agreement with the Dja Dja Wurrung People, signed in 2024, was the first of its kind between a traditional owner group and an active mining operation in Victoria.

Category 3: New Zealand Gold Leadership

New Zealand's gold sector is experiencing its most significant transformation in decades. Policy reform, fast-track consenting frameworks, and a pipeline of new projects are creating conditions for production growth that could reshape the country's export profile by the early 2030s.

12. Robert Eckford

Rua Gold

Robert Eckford is CEO of Rua Gold, the gold exploration and development company focused on New Zealand's highly prospective Reefton goldfield on the South Island's West Coast and the Glamorgan epithermal project in the North Island's Hauraki Goldfield. He has been a consistent and articulate public advocate for the mining opportunity New Zealand represents, speaking at IMARC in Sydney in June 2026 on the country's evolving regulatory framework and the implications for investment.

Rua Gold controls approximately 95% of the Reefton District through strategic acquisitions, and the starter Auld Creek mine at Reefton is projected to produce 60,000 ounces per year and employ around 200 workers. A 20,000-metre drilling campaign was active with five rigs in early 2026. Rua Gold completed a dual listing on the NZX in early 2026, deepening the company's New Zealand investor base. Eckford's framing of Reefton as a future hub-and-spoke gold district is one of the more ambitious development narratives in ANZ gold exploration.

13. Damian Spring

Santana Minerals

Damian Spring is CEO of Santana Minerals, the ASX-listed company advancing the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project in Central Otago, New Zealand, where he lives about an hour's drive from the proposed mine site. The project holds a high-grade ore reserve of approximately 1.2 million ounces at 2.4 grams per tonne. It received a 30-year mining permit in November 2025 and is listed under New Zealand's Fast-Track Approvals Act, with a final consent decision expected by October 2026.

The Bendigo-Ophir project is projected to produce approximately 120,000 ounces of gold per year, directly employ 357 people at average salaries of around A$140,300, and contribute well over NZ$500 million in government royalties across the first 14 years of operation. Spring's public communications have focused on the regional employment and long-term prosperity the project would deliver for Central Otago, and he has navigated a genuinely complex stakeholder environment in a region where the project has generated both strong community support and organised opposition.

14. Jake Klein

Endura Mining

Jake Klein is Executive Chair of Endura Mining, the private gold and copper company building a portfolio of cash-generating mines in tier-one jurisdictions, with New Zealand's fully permitted Snowy River Gold Mine on the West Coast of the South Island as its flagship asset. First gold production at Snowy River was targeted for December 2026. His founding of Evolution Mining, which grew to become Australia's second-largest ASX-listed gold miner, gives him one of the deepest track records in ANZ gold development.

He spoke publicly in mid-2026 about New Zealand being "under-recognised as a mining jurisdiction for a long period of time" and emphasised that the sector's growth would depend on consistent government policy rather than price alone. He published an opinion piece in The Australian in 2026 calling for decisive federal government action on minerals policy. Endura Mining is backed by AustralianSuper and Orion Resource Partners.

Category 4: Peak Body, Advocacy, and Sector Intelligence

The organisations that advocate for ANZ gold, connect the industry with communities, and produce the strategic analysis that shapes sector decisions are led by figures whose influence extends across the entire industry.

15. Kristy Reilly

Gold Industry Group

Kristy Reilly is CEO of the Gold Industry Group, Australia's peak body for the gold mining sector, representing member companies across production, exploration, services, and the Perth Mint. Her background spans marketing, communications, and community relations, and she has led the GIG through a period of significant growth and strategic expansion.

Under her leadership, the GIG connected more than 75,000 Australians to gold industry careers through the Gold Jobs initiative, expanded the National Gold Education Program to tens of thousands of students, more than doubled investment in women's sport through long-running partnerships with Netball WA and West Coast Fever, and convened major industry forums including a sold-out Leadership Breakfast at the 2026 RIU Explorers Conference. Her active LinkedIn presence in 2026 includes commentary from the IMARC gold innovation panel in November 2025 and from Minerals Week in Canberra, reflecting a CEO who is engaged in both industry and policy conversations.

16. Andrea Maxey

AngloGold Ashanti Australia

Andrea Maxey is VP Corporate Affairs, Community and Human Resources at AngloGold Ashanti Australia, responsible for the company's external communications, stakeholder relations, and people strategy across the Sunrise Dam and Tropicana gold mines in Western Australia. She joined AngloGold Ashanti in 2000 as Investor Relations Manager Australia after more than a decade as a journalist covering business and resources.

Her 25-plus-year track record at a single gold company gives her one of the deepest relationships with the Australian gold investor community of anyone in the sector. She served as a GIG Board Director for seven years, stepping down from the role in 2026 after describing it as a privilege to support an organisation championing Australia's gold industry. Her active LinkedIn presence in 2025 and 2026 includes commentary on the Tropicana mine's battery-electric truck trial and on the Global Resources Innovation Expo (GRX26) in Perth in May 2026.

17. Claire Walker

Gold Fields

Claire Walker is VP External Affairs at Gold Fields in Australia, a role confirmed through the GIG Board appointment announced in February 2025. With expertise in strategic communications and stakeholder engagement, she works on Gold Fields' social licence, advocacy, and community relationships for the company's Australian operations, which include the St Ives and Granny Smith gold mines in Western Australia.

Gold Fields approved a A$296 million renewable energy project at St Ives designed to generate approximately 73% of the mine's power from wind and solar, which has become one of the most cited examples of large-scale decarbonisation in Australian gold. Her communications leadership across a company making that scale of investment in sustainable operations positions her as a genuine voice on the intersection of gold, community, and the energy transition.

Category 5: Mid-tier and Growth-stage Leadership

These are the leaders of companies navigating pivotal operational moments or significant leadership transitions, making them among the most closely watched figures in Australian gold right now.

18. Stuart Tonkin

Northern Star Resources

Stuart Tonkin has been Managing Director of Northern Star Resources since 2021, leading the company through its transformational merger with Saracen Mineral Holdings and, in April 2025, completing the acquisition of De Grey Mining, which added the large-scale Hemi gold project in the Pilbara to the portfolio. In May 2026, he announced his intention to step down from the MD role during the first quarter of FY27, remaining through the current strategic plan and the KCGM Fimiston Mill expansion.

Under his tenure, Northern Star grew to Australia's largest ASX-listed gold company, reaching a market capitalisation of approximately A$44 billion by 2026. His decade-long association with Northern Star, beginning as COO before the Saracen merger, has shaped one of the most consequential corporate growth stories in Australian gold. The 2026 period has been more challenging operationally, with production difficulties at KCGM and guidance revisions, but his legacy of building the company into its current scale is one of the most significant in the sector's recent history.

19. Matthew Nixon

Genesis Minerals

Matthew Nixon became CEO of Genesis Minerals in January 2026 following the transition of Raleigh Finlayson to Executive Chair. He is a qualified mining engineer with more than 14 years of experience in operational, technical, and executive roles in underground and open-pit gold mining. His appointment marked the transition of Genesis into a fully production-focused operational phase.

His tenure began against a strong backdrop: Genesis reported net income of A$238 million for the first half of FY26, with record quarterly output of 74,261 ounces in December 2025. The company held A$599.9 million in cash and equivalents as of March 2026 with no bank debt. The proposed A$639 million acquisition of Magnetic Resources, expected to close in June 2026, adds further resources to the Leonora portfolio he is now responsible for running.

20. Duncan Gibbs

Gold Road Resources

Duncan Gibbs is Managing Director and CEO of Gold Road Resources, appointed to the role in September 2018. He has more than 35 years of experience in the industry, including leading the exploration, discovery, and development of the over-ten-million-ounce Tropicana gold project at AngloGold Ashanti, where he also served as inaugural General Manager.

Gold Road owns 50% of the Gruyere Gold Mine in Western Australia, operated in joint venture with Gold Fields, which is one of the larger open-pit gold mines in the country. Gibbs is one of the most thoughtful public voices on consolidation dynamics in the Western Australian mid-tier gold space, observing that the sector's CEO community knows each other well and that the collegiate nature of the industry makes genuine strategic dialogue possible. His geological background, combined with rare major project execution experience, makes him one of the more complete leaders in Australian gold.

Category 6: Sustainability, People, and Culture

The leaders building culture, governance, and sustainability practices across ANZ gold companies are doing the work that determines whether those organisations earn the social licence they need to operate and attract the people they need to grow.

21. Fiona Murfitt

Evolution Mining

Fiona Murfitt is VP Sustainability at Evolution Mining, responsible for HSE, risk, and social responsibility across the company's multi-jurisdiction portfolio. The role has been a GIG Board Directorship since 2024, and Murfitt was a panellist at IMARC in November 2025 on the intersection of AI, technology, and sustainability in gold.

Evolution's sustainability commitments include integration of renewable energy across mine sites and a strong focus on community engagement, and Murfitt's leadership of that agenda at a company with operations across multiple Australian states and Canada requires genuine cross-functional authority. The presence at major industry forums and on the GIG Board reflects the growing recognition that sustainability leadership at the VP level is as strategically important as production leadership in a sector navigating the energy transition.

22. Rebecca Ciotti

Northern Star Resources

Rebecca Ciotti is Executive Manager of Corporate Services at Northern Star Resources and Vice Chair of the Gold Industry Group, a role she stepped into in early 2025 alongside Wayne Bramwell's appointment as Chair. Her more than 13 years in the gold sector have spanned corporate affairs, investor relations, and community engagement at one of Australia's largest gold producers.

Her combination of deep experience at Northern Star and industry-level influence through the GIG makes her one of the key connective figures across the Australian gold community. Corporate affairs and investor relations at a company of Northern Star's scale, managing relationships with institutional investors, government, communities, and media across a portfolio that includes the Super Pit, the Jundee underground, and the Hemi development in the Pilbara, is work that shapes how the entire sector is perceived by the outside world.

23. Nicola Thomson

AngloGold Ashanti Australia

Nicola Thomson is VP People and Capability at AngloGold Ashanti Australia, responsible for human resources, employee relations, organisational capability, wellbeing, and inclusion across the company's Sunrise Dam and Tropicana operations. The role carries more than 25 years of accumulated experience across human resources, employee relations, and organisational capability. The GIG Board directorship reflects the company's contribution to the wider sector.

The work at AngloGold Ashanti Australia includes overseeing the company's graduate program, now in its sixth year and recognised as one of the sector's leading pathways for developing gold mining talent. The program is tailored to align with both graduate interests and business opportunities, with a stated philosophy that graduates are valued members of the team rather than simply a talent pipeline. That approach to human capital development in a sector with a well-documented skills shortage represents a concrete contribution to industry capacity.

24. Simon Lawson

Ramelius Resources

Simon Lawson is Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chair of Ramelius Resources, having joined the board in August 2025 following the acquisition of Spartan Resources, where he had been Executive Chair. A geologist by background, his expertise lies in exploring for and developing high-grade underground gold deposits in Western Australia.

His most significant contribution was the identification and development of the Dalgaranga gold project in Western Australia, including the Never Never and Pepper underground deposits that became the centrepiece of the Ramelius-Spartan transaction. The combined Mt Magnet-Dalgaranga hub that resulted from the acquisition is now one of the most promising growth platforms in Australian mid-tier gold, and his geological expertise in high-grade underground systems is a key asset on Ramelius's board as it executes the integration and advances the Dalgaranga development.

Category 7: Sector Infrastructure and Institutional Leadership

25. Cameron Alexander

Perth Mint (Gold Corporation)

Cameron Alexander is General Manager of Commercial Development at the Perth Mint, known formally as Gold Corporation, a Western Australian Government-owned entity that is one of the world's largest gold refineries and bullion dealers. He has been a GIG Board Director since at least 2024, and his role at the Perth Mint sits at the intersection of gold production, refining, investment products, and the global bullion market.

The Perth Mint processes the majority of Australia's newly mined gold and maintains deep commercial relationships across the mining sector, bullion banks, central banks, and sovereign wealth funds globally. His commercial development mandate includes the Mint's engagement with new gold producers, market development, and product innovation in a period when gold investment demand has been historically strong. His dual presence on the GIG Board and in a senior commercial role at the institution that sits at the downstream end of the Australian gold value chain gives him a distinctive and valuable vantage point on the sector.

Notable Voices We Almost Included

Building a list of 25 means every shortlisted person who did not make it deserves acknowledgement. The pool of people actively shaping ANZ gold extends well beyond 25, and several figures were close to inclusion.

Nicki Ivory at Deloitte Australia leads the Tracking the Trends report, the most widely cited annual strategic analysis of the global mining sector. Bill Beament built Northern Star Resources into a national champion and remains an influential figure in the WA gold community. Sandeep Biswas served as Managing Director and CEO of Newcrest Mining through the transformational period before its Newmont acquisition. Richard Hyde at Catalyst Metals is advancing that company's Victorian gold operations. Among the voices shaping New Zealand gold specifically, Alison Paul at OceanaGold New Zealand has been a prominent public advocate for the country's mining industry through her senior legal and public affairs role, including commentary on the company's historic tax and royalty contributions to the New Zealand Government in 2025.

For a broader view of the ANZ mining leadership landscape beyond gold specifically, the full companion list of thought leaders shaping mining across Australia and New Zealand covers 44 voices across safety, policy, research, innovation, and executive leadership in all mining sectors.

Common Mistakes in Gold Mining Leadership

The most consequential leadership failures in ANZ gold mining over the past decade have followed recognisable patterns, and avoiding them is as important as emulating what the best leaders do well.

Confusing scale with quality. The gold price surge of 2025 triggered acquisition activity across the sector, some of which was disciplined and some of which was not. The leaders who have built lasting value in ANZ gold have consistently prioritised asset quality over portfolio size. Scale is a consequence of quality, not a substitute for it.

Underinvesting in culture until it becomes a crisis. Mining has historically treated workforce culture as a cost rather than an investment, and the consequences show up in safety incidents, retention failures, and productivity gaps that persist long after the immediate problem is addressed. The leaders profiled in Category 6 of this list represent the vanguard of a sector that is finally treating people and culture as a strategic priority rather than a compliance function.

Treating social licence as a one-time achievement. The Fosterville EES process, which took four years and required extensive community engagement before receiving ministerial approval, is a reminder that social licence is earned and re-earned continuously, not granted once and held permanently. Ion Hann's approach at Fosterville, built on sustained local employment, supplier development, and genuine engagement with traditional owner groups, is the model the sector needs to replicate.

Ignoring the talent pipeline until the shortage bites. Australia's gold sector faces a well-documented skills shortage, particularly in underground mining engineers, geologists, and metallurgists. The companies investing in graduate programs, apprenticeships, and early-career development are building competitive advantages that will matter more as the project pipeline grows. The GIG's Gold Jobs initiative and AngloGold Ashanti Australia's graduate program are addressing this at both an industry and company level.

Letting the gold price do the work that leadership should do. When gold prices are at record highs, operational weaknesses can be masked by margin expansion. The period of 2025-26 has provided some leaders with a cushion that will not always be there. The leaders building systems, processes, and cultures that would survive a return to lower prices are the ones whose legacies will endure.

Implementation Guide: How to Build on What These Leaders Are Doing

If you lead a gold mining team and want to translate the thinking that the best leaders in this sector demonstrate into practical outcomes for your organisation, these are the starting points.

Build your executive team alignment before you need it. The leaders who have navigated the gold price surge, acquisition waves, and operational challenges of 2025-26 most effectively are those whose executive teams had the trust and communication disciplines to make fast decisions together. Working Genius facilitation and executive team offsite work with Jonno White creates exactly that kind of alignment. Email jonno@consultclarity.org to explore what is possible for your team.

Follow the people on this list on LinkedIn. The most practical thing a gold mining professional can do in 2026 is pay attention to the people actively shaping the sector's thinking. The 25 leaders featured here, and the 15 more recommended in the companion LinkedIn post, are publishing perspectives, engaging with industry events, and sharing insights in real time. That flow of sector intelligence is free and available to anyone who chooses to engage with it.

Study the deals. The Westgold-Karora merger, the Ramelius-Spartan acquisition, the proposed Regis-Vault combination, and the Genesis-Magnetic deal are all live case studies in how ANZ gold companies are building scale while preserving operational focus. The logic of each transaction, and the integration challenges each creates, offers lessons for anyone thinking about growth strategy in the sector.

Invest in decarbonisation before the regulatory clock runs out. Bellevue Gold's net-zero target and Gold Fields' A$296 million renewable energy project at St Ives are leading indicators of where the sector is heading. The companies that build decarbonisation into their operational design from the start will face lower costs and higher investor confidence than those that treat it as a later priority.

For gold mining companies that want to improve their executive leadership culture, Jonno White provides Working Genius facilitation and leadership development using Patrick Lencioni's frameworks. Whether virtual or face to face, many organisations find that bringing Jonno in costs far less than expected. Reach out at jonno@consultclarity.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the most influential leaders in Australian gold mining in 2026?

The most influential leaders in Australian gold mining in 2026 include Stuart Tonkin, who built Northern Star Resources into Australia's largest ASX-listed gold producer; Lawrie Conway, who leads Evolution Mining with a strong focus on operational discipline and capital efficiency; Wayne Bramwell, who executed the Westgold-Karora merger and chairs the Gold Industry Group; and Kristy Reilly, who leads the Gold Industry Group itself as its CEO. Beyond the major company executives, Raleigh Finlayson at Genesis Minerals, Darren Stralow at Bellevue Gold, and Shaun Day at Greatland Resources are shaping the mid-tier gold sector in ways that will define the next decade of production.

Who is leading New Zealand's gold mining sector?

New Zealand's gold sector is being shaped by Gerard Bond at OceanaGold, whose Macraes and Waihi operations produce the overwhelming majority of New Zealand's gold and whose Waihi North expansion is the most significant near-term development project; Robert Eckford at Rua Gold, who is building the Reefton goldfield into a new production hub; and Damian Spring at Santana Minerals, who is advancing the Bendigo-Ophir project in Central Otago toward a final consenting decision expected in October 2026. Jake Klein's Endura Mining is developing the Snowy River mine on the South Island, with first gold targeted for December 2026.

What makes the Gold Industry Group important for Australian gold mining?

The Gold Industry Group is Australia's peak body for the gold sector, bringing together producers, explorers, service companies, and institutional members under a single advocacy and community engagement organisation. Led by Kristy Reilly and chaired by Westgold's Wayne Bramwell, it has connected more than 75,000 Australians to gold industry careers through the Gold Jobs initiative, expanded national gold education programs, and invested in women's sport partnerships that build community connection to the industry. Its role in shaping public understanding of gold's economic contribution is increasingly important as the sector navigates heightened scrutiny on sustainability and social licence.

How is the gold price surge of 2025 affecting leadership in ANZ gold mining?

The gold price surge, which saw average realised prices climb from around US$2,858 per ounce in Q1 2025 to above US$4,000 by year-end, created both opportunities and tests for ANZ gold leadership. Companies with disciplined cost structures and operational execution turned the price tailwind into record cash flows and accelerated growth plans. The period has also seen significant consolidation activity, with the proposed Regis-Vault combination and the Genesis-Magnetic acquisition among the most significant deals, as leaders seek to build scale and resilience for whenever conditions normalise.

Final Thoughts

The 25 leaders on this list represent something genuinely important: the human layer of one of Australia and New Zealand's most consequential industries. Gold mining is easy to understand as a financial or geological story. It is harder, but more important, to understand as a leadership story, because the quality of the people making decisions about exploration, development, operational culture, community engagement, and sustainability will ultimately determine whether ANZ gold lives up to its extraordinary geological endowment.

The gold price surge of 2025 has created conditions that will be studied for years. The leaders who used those conditions to build genuinely better companies, not just larger balance sheets, are the ones whose names will still matter when the cycle turns.

If you lead a gold mining organisation and want to invest in the leadership quality of your executive team, Jonno White works with mining companies on Working Genius facilitation, executive team offsites, and leadership development. Based in Brisbane and working globally, Jonno travels internationally for speaking and facilitation, and organisations consistently find that the cost is far more accessible than expected. Email jonno@consultclarity.org to start the conversation.

For more on the broader ANZ mining leadership landscape, see the full list of thought leaders shaping mining across Australia and New Zealand, and for global context, the list of 

most influential mining CEOs globally.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, author of Step Up or Step Out, and leadership consultant who has worked with schools, corporates, and nonprofits around the world. His book Step Up or Step Out has sold over 10,000 copies globally, and his podcast The Leadership Conversations has featured 240+ episodes reaching listeners in 150+ countries. Jonno founded The 7 Questions Movement with 6,000+ participating leaders and achieved a 93.75% satisfaction rating for his Working Genius masterclass at the ASBA 2025 National Conference. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Jonno works globally and regularly travels for speaking and facilitation engagements. Organisations consistently find that international travel is far more affordable than expected. To book Jonno for your next keynote, workshop, or facilitation session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

Sources

Gold price data: OceanaGold Corporation 2025 Annual Results (February 2026). Australian gold production forecasts: GlobalData via australianmining.com.au (2025 review). New Zealand gold export revenue: Reuters/Newcastle Herald (June 2026). Australian GDP mining contribution: Minerals Council of Australia (2025). Santana Minerals project economics: New Zealand Government Minerals Strategy announcements (November 2025). Westgold half-year results: Westgold Resources Limited Q2 FY26 earnings materials (February 2026). Genesis Minerals H1 FY26 results: Genesis Minerals Limited quarterly and half-year reports (2026).

Next Read

Gold mining leadership in Australia sits within a broader ANZ mining conversation that spans safety culture, policy advocacy, digital transformation, and community engagement across iron ore, critical minerals, and other sectors. For the most comprehensive view of who is shaping mining in Australia and New Zealand beyond gold specifically, the companion list covers 44 profiled voices from across the full mining landscape.

Keep reading: 44 Essential Thought Leaders in Mining in Australia and New Zealand