Rio CEO Will Step Down After Pressure Over Heritage Site Blasts

(Bloomberg) -- Rio Tinto Group said Chief Executive Officer Jean-Sebastien Jacques will leave the company, after the miner came under investor pressure to step up its response to the destruction of ancient Aboriginal heritage sites in Australia.

The change comes only weeks after Chairman Simon Thompson said Jacques had the board’s backing to lead the response to the company’s destruction of the more than 40,000-year old sites. Chris Salisbury, iron ore unit CEO, and Simone Niven, group executive of corporate relations, will also exit the company. Jacques will remain in his role until a successor is appointed, Rio said.

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