Matt Reed, VP of operations for Australia as well as president of Alcoa of Australia, has been named EVP and COO. His new job's responsibilities include the global operations of Alcoa, which mines for bauxite, refines alumina and smelts aluminum in Australia as well as having plants elsewhere around the world. Reed will be based in Western Australia, where Alcoa recently won approval for a five-year renewal of its bauxite mining from the Western Australian government.

Oplinger has been president and CEO since September 2023, when he succeeded Roy Harvey. He had also kept the COO responsibilities but he'll give them up on Jan. 1 with Reed's promotion.

Reed has been with Alcoa for six months, joining the company in June 2023. Before that, he had been COO of Oz Materials and executive managing director of Simec Mining, with 25 years in mining, minerals processing and related industries.