08:54 AM EDT, 09/19/2025 (MT Newswires) -- BHP Group ( BHP ) is likely to appoint the first female chief executive in its 140-year history, with Geraldine Slattery, head of the company's Australian division, emerging as the lead candidate, the Financial Times said Friday, citing people familiar with the board's thinking.

Current CEO Mike Henry is expected to step down by the middle of 2026, after spending five years in the role, the report said, adding that the BHP's board was "not in a rush" to make a change.

Other contenders for the CEO job include Vandita Pant, the company's chief financial office, chief commercial officer Ragnar Udd, and Brandon Craig, BHP's head of the Americas, according to the report.

BHP did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

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