Company Announcements
July 23, 2026
Cliffs promotes Celso Goncalves to president as father vows to remain with company "for years to come"
Written by Kristen DiLandro
Celso Goncalves has been promoted to president and chief financial officer and appointed to the Cleveland-Cliffs board of directors.
The promotion was effective immediately, the steelmaker said in a press release on Thursday.
Goncalves has served as executive vice president and CFO of Cliffs since 2021 and has been with the Cleveland-based steelmaker since 2016.
The company framed his promotion as part of its leadership strategy.
Celso’s father, Lourenco Goncalves, remains chairman and CEO. He will relinquish the title of president. But the elder Goncalves remains committed to leading the company the foreseeable future.
“This appointment also represents the beginning of a thoughtful and deliberate leadership transition toward the future of Cleveland-Cliffs. To be perfectly clear, I remain fully committed to leading this company for years to come,” Lorenco Goncalves said in a statement.
Cliffs Lead Director Mike Michael credited Celso Goncalves with helping transform the company into North America’s largest producer of flat-rolled steel. Michael said the promotion reflects the board’s confidence in Goncalves’ leadership and contributions.
Before joining Cleveland-Cliffs, Celso Goncalves held investment banking positions at Deutsche Bank and Jefferies.
