Rio Tinto announces board restructuring
February 25, 2025
Rio Tinto, headquartered in London, UK, has announced a number of changes to its board following a transitional phase intended to allow new directors to familiarise themselves with the group. The changes include the resignation of three directors.
“As we reported last year, the size of the board peaked at fourteen directors as we retained the expertise and experience of our longer-serving directors during a transitional period as newer directors familiarise themselves with the group,” stated Dominic Barton, Rio Tinto Chair. “That transitional phase is now largely concluded so we will make the following changes to the board during 2025.
“At the conclusion of the Rio Tinto Limited AGM in May 2025, Sam Laidlaw will step down as director of the company,” Barton continued. “Sam was appointed to the board in February 2017 and has served as Chair of our People & Remuneration Committee and as the Senior Independent Director. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Sam, on behalf of the board, for his outstanding contribution to Rio Tinto. Ben Wyatt will succeed Sam as Chair of the People & Remuneration Committee and Sharon Thorne will become our Senior Independent Director.”
“Simon Henry will step down as a director in the second half of 2025. Simon was appointed to the board in April 2017 and has served as Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee since May 2019. We are grateful to Simon for his invaluable contribution to the Group. Sharon Thorne will succeed Simon as Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee.”
“Kaisa Hietala will also step down as a director at the conclusion of the Rio Tinto Limited AGM in May 2025. The recent growth in our lithium business has increasingly created potential conflicts of interest with Kaisa’s non-executive directorship with Exxon Mobil. Out of an abundance of caution, Kaisa has offered to resolve this potential conflict by stepping down from the Rio Tinto Board. Kaisa has been a very welcome and valuable addition to the board since her appointment in March 2023, and her guidance on energy transition and business transformation in particular have contributed significantly and insightfully to our discussions. While she will be greatly missed, we have accepted her decision to step down and wish Kaisa well for the future,” Barton concluded.
