UK-Australian mining firm Rio Tinto has appointed its chief financial officer Jakob Stausholm as its chief executive officer to replace former head Jean-Sebastien Jacques.
Jacques was forced to step down after his handling of the destruction earlier this year of a heritage site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia to expand the 42mn t/yr Brockman iron ore mine.
Stausholm joined Rio Tinto in 2018 after holding executive positions in Shell and Danish shipping firm AP Moeller-Maersk. Peter Cunningham will be appointed interim chief financial officer of Rio Tinto, effective 1 January 2021. Cunningham was previously Rio Tinto's group controller.
Rio Tinto is Australia's largest exporter of iron ore, the biggest division in the firm.
