RIO TINTO Business Summary

Rio Tinto PLC operates as a premier global mining and metals group, generating revenue through the large-scale extraction, processing, and distribution of essential mineral resources via a vertically integrated supply chain. The company’s revenue model is primarily transaction-based, selling raw materials to industrial customers globally, with a significant concentration in the Chinese and OECD markets. Its operations are divided into four primary segments: Iron Ore, which serves as the group's highest-margin division through its Pilbara assets; Aluminium, encompassing bauxite mining and smelting; Copper, focused on high-growth assets like Oyu Tolgoi; and Minerals, which includes lithium, borates, and titanium dioxide. Rio Tinto competes directly with BHP, Vale, and Fortescue. Within this peer group, Rio Tinto maintains a market-leading position as the world’s lowest-cost iron ore producer while aggressively repositioning its portfolio toward energy-transition metals to capture long-term growth in the green economy. Originally founded in 1873 to exploit copper mines in Spain, the modern dual-listed entity is currently led by Chief Executive Officer Jakob Stausholm, a former Maersk and Shell executive who has prioritized cultural reform and capital discipline since 2021. The leadership team includes Chief Financial Officer James Martin, who joined in 2025 from ASML to oversee the group’s complex capital allocation and financial strategy, and Chief Commercial Officer Bold Baatar, who manages global business development and the copper portfolio. The company is governed by a board chaired by Dominic Barton, the former Global Managing Director of McKinsey & Company, whose expertise in Asian markets and geopolitics is central to the firm's strategic direction. Major institutional shareholders include the Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) and BlackRock, reflecting the company's critical role in global industrial supply chains.