The head of gold and copper miner OZ Minerals is stepping down more than six weeks before his replacement joins the company.
Terry Burgess is ending his five years as chief executive on Friday, and will assist OZ Minerals on a voluntary basis until his successor, Rio Tinto executive Andrew Cole, begins on December 3.
In the interim, OZ Minerals' chief financial officer Andrew Coles will be the company's acting chief executive.
Mr Cole, whose appointment as CEO was announced in September, has spent more than two decades with Rio Tinto, most recently as chief operating officer of the company's iron and titanium division in Canada.
Mr Burgess will receive a termination payout equivalent to 12 months of fixed remuneration, which is about $1 million.
