Sinead Kaufman
Sinead first joined Rio Tinto as a geologist in the United Kingdom in 1997. After working across Europe and Africa in various geologist roles, Sinead transitioned into operations, leading mining sites in both underground and open-pit environments across copper, aluminum, bauxite, diamonds, coal, salt, uranium, and iron ore. In 2018 she was appointed Managing Director, Copper and Diamonds.
Today, Sinead is Chief Executive, Minerals. In this role, Sinead has accountability for the minerals product group, which comprises high-grade iron ore from the Iron Ore Company of Canada operation, titanium dioxide from the Rio Tinto Fer et Titane (Canada), Richards Bay Minerals (South Africa), and QIT Madagascar Minerals (Madagascar) operations, borates and lithium from the Boron (California) operation and the Jadar project (Serbia), and diamonds from the Diavik Diamond Mines (Canada) operation. Sinead brings to her current role strong operational expertise and asset leadership combined with commitment to sustainability. Sinead is Rio Tinto's second female product group chief executive, and with a strong focus on empowerment, she is committed to advancing a culture of diversity and inclusion in the mining industry.
Sinead holds a master's degree in mineral exploration from the University of Leicester and a degree in applied geology with honors from the University of Birmingham and has attended the Advanced Management Program at Insead through a Chief Executive Women scholarship.