Graham Kerr

Graham Kerr serves as CEO of South32, a diversified mining and metals company that was spun off from BHP in 2015. South32 produces a range of commodities from operations across three continents: manganese ore and alloy (South Africa — South32 is one of the world's largest manganese producers), alumina (Worsley in Australia), aluminium (Hillside smelter in South Africa and Mozal in Mozambique), copper (Sierra Gorda in Chile, Hermosa in Arizona), zinc and silver (Cannington in Australia), and nickel (Cerro Matoso in Colombia). South32 has been actively reshaping its portfolio to increase exposure to "energy transition" metals — copper, zinc, and nickel that are essential for electrification, renewable energy, and EV manufacturing. The company has divested coal assets and acquired copper-zinc projects (including the Hermosa development project in Arizona, which contains one of the world's largest undeveloped zinc-manganese-silver deposits). This portfolio pivot positions South32 for long-term commodity demand growth. Manganese is a critical but often overlooked commodity: it's essential for steelmaking (no substitute exists for manganese in steel production) and increasingly important for battery cathode chemistry. Key stock drivers include manganese ore prices, alumina/aluminium prices, copper and zinc prices, Hermosa project development progress, production volumes, cost management, and the overall trajectory of commodity demand from China and the energy transition.