After nearly seven years at Barrick Mining, CEO Mark Bristow has resigned. Bristow became Barrick’s CEO in 2019 following its merger with Randgold Resources—a company he founded and oversaw their integration.  

While no specific reason was provided for his sudden departure, it comes as Barrick remains caught up in a nearly three-year dispute over its Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex in Mali. The military government, which took power in a 2021 coup, has demanded a much larger share of the profits from the mine operation. Barrick had stopped operations at the complex in January, before the Malian government took control of the mine in June. Mark Hill, who currently oversees Barrick’s Latin American and Asia Pacific regions, has been elected as interim president and CEO, effective immediately. He first joined Barrick in 2006. 

The global search for Bristow’s permanent successor has already begun. 

"The board is committed to both finding the right leader to fully capitalize on Barrick’s world-class assets and capabilities, and to driving improved performance, growth and shareholder value," said John Thornton, chairman of the board, in a news release. 

Despite these hurdles, Barrick remains on track to meet the full-year expectations outlined in its second-quarter results from August, which forecast 2025 gold production of 3.15 to 3.5 million ounces and copper production of 200,000 to 230,000 tonnes. 

Barrick also reported a US$1.04 billion impairment charge in its second-quarter results, linked to the loss of operational control of Loulo-Gounkoto.  

On the same day that Barrick announced Bristow’s departure, Newmont shared that CEO Tom Palmer will step down on Dec. 31. He will be succeeded by Natascha Viljoen, who will become the company’s first female chief executive. Palmer, who has served as CEO since 2019, will remain with the company as a strategic advisor until his retirement in March 2026. Viljoen, currently Newmont’s president and COO, is set to assume the CEO role on January 1, 2026.