Sam Walsh AO

Chief executive, Iron Ore and Australia
Executive director, Rio Tinto

Sam Walsh was appointed chief executive of the Iron Ore group in December 2004, with responsibilities for operations and projects in Australia, Canada, Guinea and India, as well as for Dampier Salt and Rio Tinto Marine.  Sam is also chief executive of Rio Tinto Australia and chairman of Rio Tinto China.

In June 2009, Sam was appointed as an executive director to the boards of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited.

Sam is also the nominated initial chairman of the non-executive owners' council of the proposed Rio Tinto joint venture with BHP Billiton, involving the companies' respective iron ore assets in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Before joining the Iron Ore group, Sam held a number of management positions within Rio Tinto, including chief executive of the Aluminium group.  He has been with Rio Tinto since 1991.  Prior to this, Sam spent 20 years in the automotive industry and held senior roles with General Motors and Nissan Australia.

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, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

Sam's other appointments include non-executive director of West Australian Newspaper Holdings Limited, vice president of the Australia-Japan Business Co-operation Committee, chair of Black Swan State Theatre Company, chair of the WA Chapter of the Australia Business Arts Foundation, and chair of the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund. Sam is also patron of the State Library of Western Australia Foundation.

In recognition of his distinguished contribution to business and the community, Sam was appointed as an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia and awarded an Honorary Doctor of Commerce in January 2010 by Edith Cowan University.