Preston Chiaro

Group executive, Technology & Innovation

BSc (Hons) (Environmental Engineering), MEng (Environmental Engineering)

Skills and experience: Preston was appointed Group executive, Technology & Innovation in October 2009.  He joined the Group in 1991 at Kennecott Utah Copper's Bingham Canyon mine as vice president, Technical Services. In 1995 he became vice president and general manager of the Boron operations in California and was chief executive of Rio Tinto Borax from 1999 to 2003.  Preston then became chief executive of the Energy group and in November 2007, upon a management re-organisation, he also assumed responsibility for the Industrials Minerals group.

External appointments (current and recent): Director of Cloud Peak Energy Inc from 2008 to 2011, board member of Resources for the Future since 2006, director of Rössing Uranium Limited from 2004 to 2009, director of the World Coal Institute between 2003 and 2009 (chairman from 2006 to 2008), chairman of the Coal Industry Advisory Board to the International Energy Agency between 2004 and 2006, director of Energy Resources of Australia Limited between 2003 and 2006, director of Coal & Allied Industries Limited between 2003 and 2006.