Full Name: Tom Albanese
Position: CEO of Rio Tinto since May 2007
Main Activity of the Company: 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, vice-president, Kennecott Utah Copper; 2000 to 2001; MD, North Iron Ore; 2004 to 2006, CE: copper and exploration, Rio Tinto
Pay: £3,7-million in 2009 (annual report)
Value of Assets under Your Control: $92-billion market capitalisation (June 30, 2010)
Number of People under Your Leadership: 60 000 (excluding exployees in the downstream Alcan packaging business that the market has been told Rio Tinto will be selling) on 80 sites in 30 countries
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 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; I had the opportunity to meet Bill Clinton recently and it was very exciting
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 was very disappointed when I saw four of our executives, including Stern Hu, being detained in China and, following a long detention period, being found to have received bribes. Also, the breakdown of the $19,5-billion Chinalco investment deal was a disappointment
Hope for the Future: Building a relationship with China is a very important corporate objective, and a personal objective, but, in terms of big challenges for the future, one that all of us face is confronting the real challenge of carbon
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: Two dogs, an older sheltie and a very active Chihuahua
Miscellaneous Dislikes: I try not to dislike anything
Married: To Mary (née Ross) for 31 years
Children: Two daughters
Parting Mining Weekly interview comment: You’ve always got to be celebrating the team