What he built at Collahuasi was not luck—it was a system. And that system is now arriving at the largest copper producer in the world.
There are executives who manage. And there are others who transform. Jorge Gómez Díaz, 66, a Mining Civil Engineer from the University of Atacama, clearly belongs to the latter category. His appointment as CEO of Codelco—the most influential position in Chilean mining—came as no surprise to anyone in the industry. What did generate some astonishment was how long it took him to say yes. He had been approached by two previous administrations and had always declined. This time, however, he accepted. On July 13, he will formally assume leadership of the corporation.
“Jorge Gómez arrives at Codelco at a complex moment—arguably the most complex moment in the company’s recent history,” says Victoria Alarcón, Director of the Engineering School at IACC.
The Training Ground That Shaped Him
Gómez’s career began far from copper. In 1990, he joined Compañía Minera Mantos de Oro as Mine Superintendent, in the gold mining sector. He later transitioned to copper, joining Minera Los Pelambres, part of Antofagasta Minerals, where he rose from Operations anager to General Manager, spending nearly a decade in the Coquimbo Region. In 2006,
he became Vice President of Operations at Antofagasta Minerals. In 2011, he made his first move into the state-owned mining sector, joining Codelco as Vice President of South-Central Operations, overseeing the El Teniente, Andina, Ventanas, and Salvador divisions. Just two years later, he was appointed CEO of Collahuasi, which at the time was facing serious operational challenges.
What followed is what the industry has not forgotten. Mauro Mezzano, partner at Vantaz Group, summarizes it this way: “Jorge has a career deeply rooted in mining from the inside, which allowed him to understand the essence of operations from the ground up. His experience at Collahuasi drove a management model that remains fundamental to this day. That model reduced variability, increased productivity, and maintained an unwavering focus on safety.”
The Collahuasi Miracle
During the pandemic, while global mining operations were struggling, Collahuasi increased production by 26.8% in the first half of 2020. Fourteen years later, Gómez leaves the world’s fifth-largest mine with record production levels and having closed 2025 without a single lost- time accident, accumulating 30 million man-hours worked.
For Álvaro Merino Lacoste, Executive Director of Núcleo Minero:“Jorge Gómez transformed Compañía Minera Collahuasi. He is one of the most knowledgeable mining professionals in Chile. This appointment is the strongest candidate available to lead Codelco.” Alarcón adds: “He led milestones such as the concentrator plant expansion, cost-efficiency initiatives, the development of alternative water sources, and stronger labor relations. He represents the standard of safety and operational excellence that Codelco needs right now.”
Andrés González, Lead of Mining Industry at Plusmining, explains why that experience is transferable: “The most valuable experience Jorge Gómez brings is having led a profound operational transformation at Collahuasi, taking an operation that faced labor, production, and management challenges and turning it into the country’s second-largest private mining operation and a global benchmark. Codelco needs to attempt a similar operational transformation, although on a much more complex scale and under the constraints inherent to a state-owned company.”
The Challenges at Codelco
He arrives, however, at a very different corporation. Juan Ignacio Guzmán, General Manager of GEM, warns: “The Codelco he left is very different from today’s company. Jorge has firsthand experience in taking difficult operations and putting them back on track.” González details the immediate priorities: “Jorge Gómez will first have to address an execution crisis: stabilize production, strengthen safety, reduce operating costs, and regain management control. The most evident priority is El Teniente, given the production impact of the fatal accident on July 31, 2025, which still keeps the Andesita and Recursos Norte areas suspended. It will also be critical to organize the Northern District— Chuquicamata, Radomiro Tomic, and Ministro Hales—as an integrated system, since a significant portion of operational efficiency depends on it”. He adds: “Codelco must also bring under control a net financial debt that has grown from US$4 billion in 2009 to US$24 billion in 2025.”
The Formula: Value Creation, Partnerships, and Lithium
Merino Lacoste proposes a comprehensive plan: “Cost control, optimization of production processes, and the most efficient pathways to reduce high indebtedness are key priorities. I believe it is necessary to advance partnerships with the private sector to develop the enormous mining potential that Codelco possesses.”
Economist Marcela Vera, an academic at the Faculty of Administration and Economics (FAE) of the University of Santiago, adds a structural perspective focused on lithium: “To strengthen Codelco, every decision must aim to generate added value through technological development processes. Furthermore, Codelco must safeguard its participation in the Salar de Atacama and rapidly incorporate technologies such as direct lithium extraction.”
The Man and the Moment
Why Gómez, and why now? Alarcón summarizes the industry’s sentiment: “He has distinguished himself through his approachable style and firm leadership. For a company that today needs both to rebuild trust and deliver results, that balance is exactly what is required.”
González adds: “He has a significant advantage: he knows Codelco from the inside. His previous role as Vice President of South-Central Operations gave him exposure to divisions such as El Teniente, Andina, Salvador, and Ventanas, allowing him to understand both the technical complexity and the political, labor, and organizational constraints of a state- wned enterprise. That combination of private-sector experience, institutional memory, and industry credibility can help him attract talent, align teams, and make difficult decisions.”
Source: La Segunda