Rio Tinto | Minerals and Metals for the world

Although Weipa's bauxite reserves are sufficient to last 75 years or more at today's production rates, the growing demand for alumina and aluminium metal is likely to shorten this time horizon. Accordingly, Rio Tinto is exploring for new deposits in both Australia and Brazil.

Walsh's new job as chief executive of the Iron Ore group will necessitate his moving from Brisbane to Perth. He and his wife, Leanne, whom he met when she worked at Hamersley Iron, will be setting up home again in Perth. The family lived there between 1994 and 2001, when Walsh was a vice president of Rio Tinto Iron Ore, so they are looking forward to renewing friendships made at that time.

Sam has three children from a previous marriage: Ben, 32, an associate with the Mercer's insurance group; Carrie, 24, who is completing a PhD in history at the University of Western Australia; and Tom, 22, who is currently travelling through Asia on a year off from his studies for a BA in philosophy at Curtin University in Perth.

In his leisure time Sam likes “trawling through art galleries and antique shops, adding to an eclectic collection of milk jugs or, more correctly, 'creamers'“. Classical music is another passion. In the business sphere, he is a director of Australian Mines and Metals Association and also the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is past president of the Australian Aluminium Council and a councillor of the Australian Institute of Management.

As he hands over the reins of the Aluminium business to Oscar Groeneveld, what does Sam Walsh think about the new task ahead of him?

“I feel very comfortable about moving back into Iron Ore,” he says. “It's a business I know and understand – and that means I'll be able to hit the ground running. But I'm also under no illusions about the magnitude of the challenge the new job presents. The Iron Ore group has undergone a huge expansion in the last few years and there are some very exciting things happening there today. So I can't wait to get stuck into them.”



Although Weipa's bauxite reserves are sufficient to last 75 years or more at today's production rates, the growing demand for alumina and aluminium metal is likely to shorten this time horizon. Accordingly, Rio Tinto is exploring for new deposits in both Australia and Brazil. Walsh's new job as chief executive of the Iron Ore group will necessitate his moving from Brisbane to Perth. He and his wife, Leanne, whom he met when she worked at Hamersley Iron, will be setting up home again in Perth. The family lived there between 1994 and 2001, when Walsh was a vice president of Rio Tinto Iron Ore, so they are looking forward to renewing friendships made at that time. Sam has three children from a previous marriage: Ben, 32, an associate with the Mercer's insurance group; Carrie, 24, who is completing a PhD in history at the University of Western Australia; and Tom, 22, who is currently travelling through Asia on a year off from his studies for a BA in philosophy at Curtin University in Perth. In his leisure time Sam likes “trawling through art galleries and antique shops, adding to an eclectic collection of milk jugs or, more correctly, 'creamers'“. Classical music is another passion. In the business sphere, he is a director of Australian Mines and Metals Association and also the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is past president of the Australian Aluminium Council and a councillor of the Australian Institute of Management. As he hands over the reins of the Aluminium business to Oscar Groeneveld, what does Sam Walsh think about the new task ahead of him? ` “I feel very comfortable about moving back into Iron Ore,” he says. “It's a business I know and understand – and that means I'll be able to hit the ground running. But I'm also under no illusions about the magnitude of the challenge the new job presents. The Iron Ore group has undergone a huge expansion in the last few years and there are some very exciting things happening there today. So I can't wait to get stuck into them.”
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Review is published by Rio Tinto, 6 St James' Square, London SW1Y 4LD, England Telephone +44 (0)20 7930 2399 Editor: Cherry DeGeer