Newcrest said that Keener had worked in finance, strategy, several commercial roles and more recently in operations.
She was formerly vice president, Europe and North America, for Alcoa and before that worked as a certified public accountant for PricewaterhouseCoopers. She has degrees from universities in the US.
Barrick CEO Mark Bristow said Keener had a 21-year record of improving results in each of her roles at Alcoa.
"She has a deep commitment to business outcomes and is highly focused on delivery. Ms Keener is able to find opportunities for improvement and then to implement them with great determination. She will be a very valuable addition to our executive team," he said.
