SINGAPORE — Mining giant Rio Tinto Plc has selected copper division head Andrew Harding to lead its most important iron ore business.

Harding replaces Sam Walsh as iron ore chief executive effective immediately, the company said Feb. 14.

Walsh became the company’s chief executive officer in January after Tom Albanese stepped down following an announcement that the London-based miner faced a $14-billion write-down (amm.com, Jan. 17).

Jean-Sebastien Jacques, formerly copper president for international operations, will take Harding’s place as copper chief executive.

"Andrew’s experience across a range of Rio Tinto businesses and countries and his three years on the executive committee mean he is ideally placed to run the highest earning business in the group. He has done an excellent job leading the copper product group, including taking Oyu Tolgoi from the drawing board to an operational mine on the verge of commercial production," Walsh said in a statement. "Jean-Sebastien has been with Rio Tinto for just over a year and has made a real impact and injected some fresh thinking into the copper business."

Harding will be based in Perth, Australia, while Jacques will remain in London.

A version of this article was first published by AMM sister publication Metal Bulletin.