Rio Tinto, Alcoa and Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) have welcomed new leaders to their teams, all taking effect throughout 2024.
Rio Tinto
Martina Merz and Sharon Thorne have been appointed as non-executive directors.
Merz will join the Board on February 1 and will stand for election at Rio Tinto’s annual general meetings in 2024.
“I am pleased to be joining Rio Tinto at an exciting time for the company. I believe there are real opportunities to be unlocked and look forward to working with the board to deliver its long-term strategy,” she said.
Thorne will join the board on July 1 and will stand for election at Rio Tinto’s annual general meetings in 2025.
“I look forward to contributing to Rio Tinto’s ongoing transformation, as the company positions itself to thrive in a decarbonising world. I am excited about the work ahead with my fellow board members to help shape a strong future,” she said.
Rio Tinto chair Dominic Barton welcomed Merz and Thorne to the company.
“Martina has extensive leadership experience in handling cyclical businesses, navigating the energy transition and decarbonisation initiatives, and leading innovation and research and development efforts,” he said.
“This expertise, combined with significant board experience as a non-executive director, make her a valuable addition to the Rio Tinto board.
“Having chaired the largest professional services firm in the world, Sharon brings extensive and transformational leadership experience together with deep industry knowledge, gained over 30 years of auditing and advising multinational clients. I am very pleased to welcome Sharon to our board.”
Alcoa
Taking effect from January 1, Matt Reed will serve as Alcoa’s executive vice president and chief operations officer.
Reed will lead Alcoa’s global operations, including bauxite mines, alumina refineries, and aluminium smelters. He will be responsible for operational excellence, focusing on safety, environmental management, productivity, cost management, and long-term strategic planning. He first joined Alcoa in June 2023.
“Matt is a very strong leader who will help us drive a high-performance culture across our assets,” Alcoa president and chief executive officer William F Oplinger said.
“He is guided by integrity and a passion for building capable and motivated teams. He will build on the work he’s already accomplished, driving increased stability while successfully managing a range of complex initiatives.”
Reed will continue acting as Alcoa Australian operations vice president and Australian president until January 31, when an interim Australian operations vice president will be appointed.
A permanent Australian operations vice president will be named after a search process.
ERA
Taking effect from January 1, Alfie Grigg has been appointed as a non-executive director of ERA, a Rio Tinto subsidiary.
Grigg is currently Rio Tinto chief counsel – minerals, a role that involves supporting Rio Tinto’s strategic growth activities in the battery minerals sector.
He joined Rio Tinto in 2007 and has held a range of senior legal, regulatory and commercial roles across corporate and operational areas of the company.
Grigg was previously a non-executive director on the board of Canadian mineral explorer Turquoise Hill Resources, which Rio Tinto wholly acquired in December 2022.
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