Full Name: Tom Albanese
Position: Group CEO of Vedanta Resources and chairperson of Konkola Copper Mines
Main Activity of the Company: Vedanta is a globally diversified mining company
Date and Place of Birth: September 9, 1957, New Jersey, Ohio, US
Education: Bachelor’s degree in mineral economics; master’s degree in mining engineering, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Career Path: 1981 to 1983, junior engineer on an Alaskan gold project acquired by Nerco; 1989 to 1993, COO of Nerco, acquired by Rio Tinto; 1995 to 1998, group exploration officer, Rio Tinto, London; 1998 to 2000, VP, Kennecott Utah Copper; 2000 to 2001, MD, North Iron Ore; 2004 to 2006, CE: copper and exploration, Rio Tinto, and 2007 to 2013, Rio Tinto CEO; from 2013, board of directors, Franco Nevada Corporation
Pay: £1-million 2014/15 (2014 annual report)
Value of Assets under Your Control: $40-billion market capitalisation (September 25, 2014)
Number of People under Your Leadership: 88 000 direct and indirect employees across the globe
Management Style: Team orientated and inclusive. I particularly enjoy visiting operations, meeting individuals within the organisation and hearing what they are thinking
Personal Best Achievement: Steering Rio Tinto through a series of challenging corporate and global financial circumstances and coming out of all that with a company much stronger than before
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Several very important mentors and educators
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: I have had the opportunity to meet just about anyone I want to meet
Philosophy of Life: We always have to keep learning; never stay static
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Be ready to seek out opportunities, even if at first they may not seem like opportunities. For a person developing a career, from time to time, lateral moves can be the most important
Biggest Ever Disappointment: I am very disappointed every time I hear about a fatality at one of our operations
Hope for the Future: I see a lot of hope in India. The current government of India wants to lift literally hundreds of millions of Indians out of poverty. I share this hope; it is good for India and important for our business
Favourite Reading: 1422, by Gavin Menzies, a book on Chinese explorers circumnavigating the world and discovering the African and South American continents in 1422, before Columbus
Favourite Food/Drink: I love all sorts of food and all sorts of drink, but one must drink in moderation, of course
Favourite Music: Classic rock
Favourite Sport: I enjoy walking; I swim at least once a week; I haven’t had much time for skiing lately, but if I have a chance to ski, I will
Hobbies: I like to read to keep up with everything, plus the occasional novel; I like crime novels
Pets: One dog, a small Japanese breed
Miscellaneous Dislikes: I try not to dislike anything
Married: To Mary (née Ross) for 35 years
Children: Two daughters
Latest Mining Weekly interview comment: “Anything we get from Gamsberg will be a straight dividend.” Vedanta is currently turning Gamsberg, one of the world’s largest zinc deposits, which is situated near the mining town of Aggeneys in South Africa’s Northern Cape, to account