Jacques will leave after his successor is chosen or at the end of March next year, whichever comes first, according to the company.
Two other executives are also leaving: Chris Salisbury, head of the iron ore division, and Simone Niven, head of the corporate affairs group. Salisbury resigns immediately and leaves the company at the end of the year. Niven will also leave at the end of December.
“What happened in Juukan was wrong.” Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson said in a statement about the destruction of two stone vaults in Western Australia that contained artifacts that testify to tens of thousands of years of continuous human occupation.
“We are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again during Operation Rio Tinto,” Thompson added.
The three executives will continue to receive some remuneration under the terms of their contracts, including long-term incentive payments. They have already been fined £ 3.8 million (roughly $ 5 million) in premiums.
In a report released last month, the company said it is failing to meet some of its own standards “for the responsible management and protection of cultural heritage.” But that didn’t fire the executives – a decision that drew criticism from investor groups who accused the company of failing to take full responsibility for demolishing the caves. The caves were of significant archaeological value and deep cultural significance to the Aborigines.
In a statement Friday, Rio Tinto acknowledged that “significant stakeholders have raised concerns about the executive’s responsibility for deficiencies identified.”