Rio Tinto Appoints New Chairman
03/18/2009 - Rio Tinto announces the appointment of Jan du Plessis as Chairman of the Boards, effective with the conclusion of the company’s Annual General Meeting in April.
Rio Tinto announced the appointment of Jan du Plessis as Chairman of the Boards. The new Chairman, who joined the Boards as a non executive director in September 2008, will assume his new position with effect on April 20, 2009, at the conclusion of Rio Tinto’s Annual General Meeting.
At that time, Rio Tinto's current Chairman, Paul Skinner, will retire as announced from the Boards as Chairman and a non-executive Director.
“Our immediate focus must be on giving Rio Tinto the best possible platform to create shareholder value and to weather the tough and uncertain global economic conditions,” stated du Plessis. “Pursuing the completion of the transaction with Chinalco will give Rio Tinto this platform, from which we will be even better placed to prosper when we see economic recovery.”
"On re-starting the search for a successor to Paul Skinner, the Nominations Committee focused on identifying a candidate with outstanding abilities and experience to lead the Rio Tinto Boards,” noted Andrew Gould, Senior Independent Director, Rio Tinto. “Jan du Plessis brings a wealth of international business experience to the role and has clearly demonstrated his capabilities since he joined the Boards in September. I am delighted that he will be taking up the role of Chairman.
“I would like to thank Paul Skinner for agreeing to stay on until a successor was found and for his contribution to the company during his tenure," added Gould.
Jan du Plessis previously served as Group Finance Director of Richemont, the Swiss luxury goods group and chairman of RHM plc, then a leading British food manufacturer. He will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of British American Tobacco plc, a role he has held since 2004. He also is a non-executive director and chairman of the Audit Committee of Lloyds Banking Group plc, although he may stand down from that role in the future, and has also been a non-executive director of Marks & Spencer Group PLC since November 2008.
He holds degrees in Commerce and Law from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and is a South African Chartered Accountant.
Rio Tinto, a leading international mining group headquartered in the U.K., combines Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited. Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources, with activities that are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.
