Rio Tinto plc (LON:RIO) has announced a number of Board changes.
As we have previously reported, the size of the Board peaked at 14 Directors during a transitional period in which we retained the expertise and experience of longer-serving Directors as newer Directors familiarised themselves with the Group.
Sam Laidlaw and Kaisa Hietala stepped down from the Board at the conclusion of the 2025 AGMs, and that transitional phase has now concluded with the following changes, all effective from 23 October 2025:
Simon Henry
Simon Henry has stepped down as a Director, having served on the Board since April 2017 and having now completed the handover to Sharon Thorne, who has succeeded him as Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee.
Martina Merz
As part of the Board restructuring process, Martina Merz has decided to step down as a Director as she wishes to dedicate more of her time to building innovation ecosystems, alongside her other supervisory and advisory board positions.
Ben Wyatt
Ben Wyatt is appointed Senior Independent Director (“SID”), Rio Tinto Limited. This role complements the UK-based SID, Rio Tinto plc, performed by Sharon Thorne, but with a particular focus on Board engagement in Australia.
Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz
Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz joins the Sustainability Committee of the Board, to replace Martina Merz. She is known for her transformational leadership on cultural change, gender equity, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability, all of which will be invaluable on the Sustainability Committee. Susan will continue in her existing role as the Designated Non-Executive Director for Workforce Engagement.
