James Whittaker

James Whittaker has over 30 years of experience in the mining and metals sector. James currently holds the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Capstone Copper's operations in Chile. Prior to this, they served as the President of Escondida at BHP from 2021 to 2023. From 2019 to 2021, they worked as the Regional Executive General Manager at OceanaGold Corporation.

Before joining OceanaGold, Whittaker had an extensive career at Barrick Gold Corporation, where they held various roles. James was a Partner and a member of the global partnership group, providing transformational leadership to the organization. During their time at Barrick, they also served as the Executive General Manager of Veladero Mine in Argentina and as the CEO of Minera Andina del Sol, a joint venture between Barrick and Shandong Gold. James was responsible for the operation and closure planning of various sites and played a key role in the growth of the alliance between Barrick and Shandong Gold.

Prior to their time at Barrick, Whittaker worked as an Independent Management Consultant, focusing on the mining and metals sector. James provided consulting services to various clients, including Hudbay Minerals, KGHM, Codelco, and BHP Billiton, among others.

Whittaker's career started at Placer Dome Inc, where they gained over 13 years of international management experience in mine operations, site maintenance, project design and start-up, and HSE. James held positions such as Mine Operations Manager at Placer Dome's subsidiary, Minera Zaldivar, in Chile.

Throughout their career, Whittaker has demonstrated strong leadership skills and a track record of delivering results in the mining industry.

James Whittaker earned a Bachelor's Degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Dalhousie University between 1985 and 1990. In 2000, they attended the Smith School of Business at Queen's University to pursue an Executive MBA.