Ivanhoe Mines Announces Leadership Transitions to Support Next Wave of Expansion
Ivanhoe Mines Appoints New COO as Company Enters Next Phase of Global Copper Growth
Canadian mining company Ivanhoe Mines has appointed Tom van den Berg, currently a senior executive at the Kamoa-Kakula operations, as the group’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective January 1, 2026. He will succeed current COO Mark Farren, who will transition into a strategic adviser role to the Ivanhoe board.
Ivanhoe highlighted Farren’s significant contributions over the past five years, noting his leadership in delivering nine major capital projects while serving as COO of Ivanhoe Mines and CEO of Kamoa Copper.
These achievements include the construction and debottlenecking of Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 1, 2 and 3 operations; commissioning the on-site direct-to-blister copper smelter; rehabilitating and rebuilding the historic Kipushi Mine; launching Phase 1 production at Platreef; and refurbishing key hydroelectric infrastructure at Mwadingusha and Inga II Turbine #5.
As strategic adviser, Farren will continue to support Ivanhoe’s next phase of organic growth, including the Phase 2 expansion of the Platreef project in South Africa and the development of the Western Forelands project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Van den Berg will remain based at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC during an interim period to oversee ongoing operational recovery efforts and the turnaround strategy.
He will also lead group-wide initiatives to build technical expertise and enhance operational excellence, with further personnel expansions expected.
Ivanhoe Mines has also appointed veteran mining executive Nick Popovic as a strategic adviser to the board. Popovic brings more than 30 years of experience from Glencore International, including extensive commercial and operational expertise in both the DRC and Kazakhstan. He will advise the company on growth strategy, commercial matters and operational performance.
In another board-level change, Manfu Ma will step down as a director and will be succeeded by Xianwen Wu, general manager of CITIC Metal Group, which is Ivanhoe’s largest shareholder. Wu’s appointment took effect on November 26.
Ivanhoe founder and executive co-chairperson Robert Friedland welcomed the new appointments, noting:
“The next chapters of Ivanhoe’s growth are going to be nothing short of extraordinary. We are well-positioned with the appointments of Tom van den Berg, Mark Farren and Nick Popovic.
I also extend my sincere thanks to Manfu Ma for his wisdom, support and dedication in shaping the development of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex and helping build Ivanhoe Mines into a world-class company with three operating mines.”
Kamoa-Kakula Guidance Update
Ivanhoe Mines has confirmed that it will release an updated copper production outlook for the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex for 2026 and 2027 next week.
The company withdrew its 2026 production guidance in June after flooding on the eastern side of the Kakula mine in May disrupted operations. Although dewatering efforts have enabled mining to resume in certain areas, Ivanhoe continues to manage the broader impacts of the flooding.
