Rio Tinto board appointment

Friday, 5 June 2009 12:00 AM

Sam Walsh, Chief executive, Rio Tinto Iron Ore, has been appointed to the boards of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited as an executive director, effective immediately.

It has also been announced today that Rio Tinto has agreed with BHP Billiton to establish a production joint venture covering the entirety of both companies' Western Australian iron ore assets. Sam Walsh will become the initial chairman of the non-executive owners' council of the joint venture, as set out in that announcement. Aged 59, he has been chief executive of Rio Tinto's Iron Ore group since 2004. He joined Rio Tinto in 1991 and has held a number of management positions within the group, including chief executive of the Aluminium Group from 2001 to 2004.

Jan du Plessis, Rio Tinto chairman, said: "I am very pleased to welcome Sam to the Rio Tinto boards. Sam's election is a fitting recognition of his excellent leadership of, and contribution to, the success of our iron ore group, and the wealth of experience within our business that he brings to the table."

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.

Contacts:

Media Relations London
Christina Mills
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 1154
Mobile: +44 (0) 7825 275 605

Nick Cobban
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 1138
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 041 003

Media Relations, US
Tony Shaffer
Office: +1 202 393 0266
Mobile: +1 202 256 3667

Media Relations, Australia
Ian Head
Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3620
Mobile: +61 (0) 408 360 101

Amanda Buckley
Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3627
Mobile: +61 (0) 419 801 349

Investor Relations, London
Nigel Jones
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 2049
Mobile: +44 (0) 7917 227 365

David Ovington
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 2051
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 010 978

Investor Relations, North America
Jason Combes
Office: +1 (0) 801 204 2919
Mobile: +1 (0) 801 558 2645

Investor Relations, Australia
Dave Skinner
Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3628
Mobile: +61 (0) 408 335 309

Simon Ellinor
Office +61 (0) 7 3361 4365
Mobile +61 (0) 439 102 811

Further information:

Email: questions@riotinto.com

Website: www.riotinto.com

High resolution photographs available at: www.newscast.co.uk

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