Board of Directors

Board insights: 2022

How the Board considered our values and culture 

Employee engagement sessions 

As part of the Board’s ongoing engagement with our people, Directors took part in a range of activities, including employee-listening sessions, podcast recordings and in-person meetings. Non-Executive Directors are invited to provide the Board with any feedback from these engagements at each Board meeting. 

The employee-listening sessions help the Board understand the concerns, views and ideas of our people in an informal and conversational setting. The following sessions took place during the year: 

• In April 2022, Megan Clark, Simon McKeon and Ngaire Woods spoke with employees from the Change Partners Network, part of the Safe Production System (SPS), discussing inclusion and diversity and our culture, including the findings of the Everyday Respect Report
• In June 2022, Simon Henry, Sam Laidlaw and Jennifer Nason spoke with our Mindsets and Behaviours Coaches and Change Champions of SPS on the successes, failures and areas of improvement of our processes
• In October 2022, Megan Clark, Ngaire Woods and Ben Wyatt took part in a conversation with our people based in China to better understand their perspectives of our business

Board members also recorded podcasts to give our people more of an insight into who they are, both professionally and personally. During 2022, our then Chairman, Simon Thompson, reflected on his tenure as a member of the Board, and a number of our Non-Executive Directors were interviewed on topical issues for our business. 

In December 2022, all the Board members visited our Brisbane office for the final Board meeting of the year. While there, our Chair and Chief Executive held a fireside chat, which all employees were invited to attend. Board members also took part in lunches with Indigenous employees, part of our graduate programme and members of the Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) Committee, a voluntary group that organises activities to improve I&D initiatives in the Brisbane office, and the Thrive Committee, which raises awareness and understanding of LGBTI+ issues.

Site visits by the Board 

Members of the Board visit Gudai-Darri 

On 6 May 2022, members of the Board visited the Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. 

On 21 June 2022, Megan Clark and Simon McKeon also visited for the opening of the mine, one of the most technically advanced in the world. While there, Megan and Simon viewed the automated haul trucks, automated water carts and autonomous train haulage system. They also visited the robotic sample laboratory and saw the digital twin of the process plant, and the advanced crushing facilities and new solar plant. The focus on safety and Everyday Respect was evident in every encounter with the Rio Tinto team and our contractors. The strong partnership with the Banjima people, the Traditional Owners of the land, was a highlight of the opening.

Simon McKeon attends the Garma Festival 

Between 29 July and 1 August 2022, Simon McKeon attended the annual Garma Festival, a celebration of the cultural, artistic and ceremonial traditions of the Yolngu people. It takes place near Nhulunbuy, the town in Australia’s Northern Territory that is the base for our Gove operations. Simon met with Indigenous leaders, and the meeting highlighted that, while considerable progress has been made since the Juukan Gorge rock shelters destruction in improving Rio Tinto’s cultural heritage performance, there is still a considerable way to go. The festival was an opportunity to demonstrate Rio Tinto’s willingness to listen and our commitment to creating long-term relationships with Indigenous partners. 

Ben Wyatt visits Resolution Copper 

Ben Wyatt visited Resolution Copper in Arizona in October 2022. He had the privilege to spend time on the ancestral lands of the O’odham, Hopi, Pueblo of Zuni, Western Apache and Yavapai Tribes during his visit. Ben toured the existing underground mine and met with Tribal representatives. 

Megan Clark visits Kennecott 

Megan Clark visited our Kennecott copper operations in Utah in the US in November 2022. Kennecott includes open pit and underground mines, and concentrator, smelter and refinery facilities. The visit provided a chance for Megan to review the following: open pit geotechnical management; underground expansion plans; smelter rebuild preparation; process safety management; and implementation of the SPS and our ESG initiatives. Kennecott is investing in upgrading the smelter, and has expansion plans for open pit and underground development of skarn deposits next to the pit. The team’s pride in and commitment to making Kennecott a significant strategic operation for Rio Tinto and the US was a highlight of the visit.