Pat Risner was appointed President for South32 in Southern Arizona in 2019. In this role, Pat is responsible for the development of South32’s critical minerals business in the region including the Hermosa Project. Hermosa will establish domestic supply chains in Southern Arizona for two federal government-listed critical minerals that are essential for our country to meet its bold decarbonization goals. Pat also serves on the Board of the Ambler Metals joint venture, a critical minerals development in Alaska where South32 holds a 50% ownership interest.

Pat has over 30 years of global experience in the mining industry and is considered an industry expert in complex mine project development. He is the former Chief Health, Safety and Environment Officer for BHP, where he had global accountability for safety and sustainability matters for the largest mining company in the world. Pat is also the former President of BHP’s US coal business based in New Mexico. He has held senior leadership roles in operations, major projects, engineering and health, safety and environment functions in the US and Australia.

Pat has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and technology.