Neves comes to the role with a mandate to oversee the growth of Vale’s global coal business and existing operations in Australia, Mozambique and Colombia. In Australia, he will seek to make Vale one of the top four coal producers in Australia by 2021.

Neves has been based in Brazil and was most recently Vale’s director of planning, development and continuous improvement department.

A mechanical engineer with a masters in business and commerce, Neves joined Vale in 2004 and has experience in innovation and development, bulk integrated operations planning, operations improvement and logistics solutions.

In August this year Vale announced that its director of Australian coal operations and BHP Billiton veteran Steve Badenhorst would be heading up its coal operations in an acting capacity after Brazilian Decio Amaral left the role of global coal director.

Badenhorst said Neves’ appointment was proof of Vale’s commitment to its coal strategy.

“Mauro comes to the role with great expertise and his appointment provides further evidence of Vale’s ongoing commitment to our Australian growth strategy,” he said.

Last week Vale announced that it recruited another BHP Mitsubishi Alliance veteran, Jason Economidis, to its global coal team for the newly created role of director of expansion projects.

Economidis is set to play a leading role in the development of Vale’s Queensland projects including Eagle Downs, Belvedere, Degulla and Red Hill.