Michelle Ash

VP Growth, BHP

Michelle joined BHP in May 2023 as part of the integration of OzMinerals. As VP Growth she is accountable to develop the strategy and lead the development of a Copper Province in South Australia. The Copper Province will not only help the world decarbonize but also establish Australia as a Copper Mining center matching its large mineralization potential.

Michelle has more than 30 years’ experience in the mining and manufacturing sectors with a focus on business improvement and change management.

Most recently, she was Technology Executive for OzMinerals accountable for Innovation (Think and Act Differently), Digital and Technical Excellence. Prior to this, Michelle was CEO of Dassault Systems GEOVIA software division where she led a growth strategy across the company’s Natural Resources sector, delivering next-generation solutions through geologic modelling and mining engineering software applications. Michelle has also been Chief Innovation Officer at Barrick Gold and Chief Operations Officer for Acacia. 

She is also a Board Member for Boart Longyear and GMG as well as technology start-ups Magnium and Railveyor. She is also on a number of advisory Boards for CSIRO, OffWorld, Stratum AI as well as others.