UMA Member in the News

11/02/2009
Rio Tinto appoints Kelly Sanders as new Kennecott Utah Copper President and Chief Executive Officer

Andrew Harding appointed to Chief Executive of Rio Tinto's global Copper product group and Executive Committee member

Rio Tinto announces that Kelly Sanders, Kennecott Utah Copper's Chief Operating Officer, has been promoted to lead the company as President and CEO. Current President and CEO, Andrew Harding, has been tapped to lead Rio Tinto's global Copper product group effective November 1, 2009. Harding will also become a member of the Rio Tinto Executive Committee and be based in London.

Prior to his current role as KUC's Chief Operating Officer, Sanders was Vice President of Operations at Rio Tinto Energy America (RTEA). During his 12 years with Rio Tinto, he has also held operating and technical roles within Rio Tinto Coal Australia at Mount Thorley Coal and at RTEA's Colowyo Mine in Colorado. Prior to joining the Rio Tinto group he held various operations, technical and business development roles in the mining industry. During his time as COO, Kelly contributed significantly to the work of the senior leadership team and led the operations team to new levels of achievement in safety and efficiency. Kelly and his operations team were also key in the successful transition to a new labor agreement.

Harding has been the President and CEO of KUC since November 2007 and prior to that was Chief Operating Officer at KUC. He served as global practice leader for mining in Rio Tinto's Technology and Innovation group where he focused on leading performance improvement initiatives. Harding has also held several operations positions throughout his 17-year career in the iron ore, energy and aluminum industries in Australia. During his time at KUC, Harding has led one of Utah's largest companies during a down economy and kept the company profitable, exceeded production targets and committed to various high profile community partnerships such as the Utah Museum of Natural History at Rio Tinto Center and Rio Tinto Stadium.
Harding replaces native Utahn, Bret Clayton, who has been appointed to a new role as Group Executive, Business Support and Operations. In this new role he will oversee numerous functional areas and business units within Rio Tinto including Kennecott Land in Utah.

The new KUC Chief Operating Officer is native Utahn Clayton Walker, formerly KUC Vice President of Projects and Value Generation. Prior to this role, Walker was the General Manager at Kennecott Mineral's Greens Creek Mine in Alaska. In his eight years with Rio Tinto, he has held operating and marketing roles within RTEA at the Spring Creek Mine in Montana. He has worked in operating, technical, marketing and business development roles in the mining industry. Walker has been instrumental in continuing to drive the business improvement culture at KUC while also focusing on the critical business issues and funding approval for significant capital projects.

Rio Tinto's Copper group comprises the wholly owned operations of Kennecott Utah Copper in Utah and interests in the copper mines of Escondida in Chile, Grasberg in Indonesia, Northparkes in Australia and Palabora in South Africa. The group also owns or has interests in undeveloped world class copper ore bodies at La Granja in Peru, Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia, Resolution in the US and nickel projects at Sulawesi in Indonesia and Eagle in Michigan. In 2008, the Copper group produced approximately 700,000 tons of copper, which places it among the top five copper producers in the world.