Special Guest - Mr. Sam Walsh,

Chief Executive, Rio Tinto Iron Ore Group

 

Sam Walsh was appointed Chief executive of Rio Tinto Iron Ore in December 2004.  The role includes responsibility for Rio Tinto’s iron ore operations in Australia, Canada, Brazil, Guinea and India.  Sam is also Chairman of Rio Tinto China. 

Prior to Sam’s appointment as Chief executive of Rio Tinto Iron Ore, Sam was Chief executive of Comalco and Rio Tinto Aluminium (2001-2004) and Chairman of Rio Tinto Japan (2002-2005). Sam has also held a number of other senior positions including Vice president of Rio Tinto Iron Ore (2000-2001) following Rio Tinto’s acquisition of North Limited, Managing director of Hamersley Operations (1997-2000), and Managing director of Hamersley Sales and Marketing (1994-1997).

Before joining Rio Tinto, Sam worked in the automotive industry for more than 20 years in Australia and the USA.  At Holden he was in charge of supply and led the restructuring of the company in the mid 1980s. He subsequently joined Nissan Australia where he was Executive director Operations.

Sam has a Bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University and has completed a Fellowship Program at Kettering University in Michigan.  He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy and the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Vice president of the Australia-Japan Business Co-operation Committee, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, a Councillor of the WA Chamber of Commerce, a Director of Committee for Perth Limited, Chair of the WA Chapter of the Australia Business Arts Foundation, and the Chairman of the Rio Tinto Western Australia Future Fund.  Recently Sam has been appointed as a non-executive Director of West Australian Newspapers (WAN) and Chairman of Black Swan State Theatre Company.

In 2007, Sam was awarded an Australian Export Hero and Western Australian Citizen of the Year - Industry & Commerce.

Sam and his wife, Leanne, reside in Perth. Sam has three children: Ben, Carolyn and Tom.