BHP’s tech chief Diane Jurgens logs off

BHP chief technology officer Diane Jurgens will leave the miner early next year.

BHP chief technology officer Diane Jurgens will leave the miner early next year, adding to incoming chief executive Mike Henry’s list of initial tasks.

The resources giant said late on Monday that Ms Jurgens would leave the miner early next year, as she has decided to move back to the US to be closer to her family and to pursue other ­opportunities.

Rag Udd has been named acting chief technology officer.

BHP credits Ms Jurgens with playing a key role in establishing technology throughout the company, including a new operating model that brought together research and development, operational tech and companywide cybersecurity.

She joined the company in 2015 and took on the tech role in February of the following year, BHP said.

Ms Jurgens oversaw a 2000-strong workforce across Australia and Singapore.

BHP is currently rolling out plans to introduce up to 500 new autonomous vehicles across the Pilbara and Queensland, adding to the fleet of driverless trucks at its Jimblebar iron ore mine, under a $US800m ($1.2bn) program.

BHP veteran Mr Henry takes the helm from outgoing chief executive Andrew Mackenzie at the start of the new year.

Dow Jones Newswires