Simon Thompson

Simon Thompson is former Chairman of Rio Tinto. He was previously a Non-Executive director at Rio Tinto, and member of the Sustainability Committee, and a former chairman of Tullow Oil. He has a wealth of global experience in the metals and mining industry, having held numerous executive and non-executive positions in this sector.

In 1999 he joined Anglo American in South Africa, and held a number of senior positions including Chief Executive of the Base Metals Division, Chairman of the Exploration Division, Chairman of the Tarmac Group and Non-Executive Director of AngloGold Ashanti. He became a member of the Executive Committee of Anglo American in 2003 and an Executive Director in 2005. Prior to his career with Anglo American he held investment banking positions at SG Warburg and NM Rothschild, where his principal focus was providing corporate and project finance advice to companies in the mining and oil and gas sector.

Among his current positions, Simon Thompson has been Chairman of 3i Group plc, the UK’s oldest listed private equity firm, since 2015. Until recently he served as non‐executive director of Newmont Mining Corporation, Sandvik AB and AMEC plc.