Sam Walsh
Photo by: Bloomberg
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diversified major Rio Tinto on Thursday announced that copper and coal CEO Jean-Sébastien Jacques would succeed CEO Sam Walsh when he retires in July this year.
To ensure a smooth transition, Jacques would join the board and become deputy CEO with immediate effect.
“Jacques is a very experienced executive with a demonstrated track record and brings a unique blend of strategic and operational expertise. He has run complex operations and projects across five commodities and five continents. Jacques is a highly-regarded leader who shares Rio Tinto’s strong values and has embraced its culture,” said Rio chairperson Jan du Plessis on Thursday.
Du Plessis noted that the appointment of Jacques was the culmination of a comprehensive and deliberately executed succession process.
Jacques for his part has said that safety across Rio’s global operations would remain a key focus.
“Rio Tinto is a world-class company with some of the best tier-one assets and people in the industry. It is an honour and a great privilege to be given the opportunity to lead the company as we continue to develop the business and pursue the delivery of value for shareholders,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chris Salisbury had been appointed acting CEO of the copper and coal product group and would attend the Rio executive committee in this capacity.