Tom Albanese becomes chief executive

Rio Tinto's new chief executive, Tom Albanese, took office on 1 May 2007 as part of a seamless succession from Leigh Clifford. Leigh remains available in an advisory capacity until September.

Tom said: "It is an honour and a privilege to take over the leadership of Rio Tinto. Leigh leaves us in a strong position. He has made an outstanding contribution to Rio Tinto for almost 37 years, including seven years as chief executive. We thank him and wish him well for the future.

"I want to emphasise that my goal is continuity and staying the course we have set for Rio Tinto's continued success, maximising shareholder value through investment in large, long life, cost competitive mines.  I also want to maintain the Group's industry leadership in safety and social and environmental responsibility."

Tom is 49 and the first US citizen to lead Rio Tinto. He was appointed to the board in 2006 as director, Group Resources, responsible for Exploration, Operational and Technical Excellence, Human Resources, Communications and External Relations and Global Business Services.

Today he heads up an organisation of 35,000 employees comprising about 30 businesses with 80 operations in 20 countries.

Tom brings wide experience of the mining industry developed in a sequence of challenging technical, operational and strategic roles. He has been a key player in a number of major Rio Tinto developments over recent years and also in shaping the Group's strategic direction.