Lord Kerr of Kinlochard

GCMG, MA. Age 65.

Appointment and election: Director of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited since 2003. He was elected by shareholders in 2004 and will stand for re-election in 2007 (notes a, d and e).

Skills and experience: An Oxford graduate, John was a member of the UK Diplomatic Service for 36 years and headed it from 1997 to 2002 as Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign Office. On a secondment to the UK Treasury he was principal private secretary to two Chancellors of the Exchequer. His foreign service included periods in the Soviet Union and Pakistan, and as Ambassador to the European Union (1990 to 1995), and the US (1995 to 1997). He has been a member of the House of Lords since 2004.

External appointments (current and recent):
Deputy Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell plc since 2005
Director of The Scottish American Investment Trust plc since 2002
Advisory Board member, Scottish Power (Iberdrola) since 2007
Director of The "Shell" Transport and Trading Company plc from 2002 to 2005
Chairman of the Court and Council of Imperial College, London since 2005
Trustee of the Rhodes Trust since 1997, The National Gallery since 2002, and the
Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland since 2005

Notes
(a) Audit committee 
(b) Nominations committee 
(c) Remuneration committee 
(d) Committee on social and environmental accountability 
(e) Independent