Rio Tinto (RIO) appoints Trudi Charles as new Chief Legal Officer
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
6-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Rio Tinto has appointed Trudi Charles as its new Chief Legal Officer, Governance & Corporate Affairs, succeeding Isabelle Deschamps. Charles is currently Deputy General Counsel and Senior Vice President Legal, Supply, Trading & Shipping at BP and will join Rio Tinto from 1 August 2026.
She brings over 20 years of senior legal experience at BP across downstream and supply, trading and shipping businesses, and previously spent almost eight years with Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer in London and Hong Kong. She is admitted to the Law Society of England & Wales, the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Queensland Law Society.
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Key Terms
Chief Legal Officer, Governance & Corporate Affairs, foreign private issuer, Law Society of England & Wales, Notice to ASX/LSE
4 terms
Chief Legal Officer, Governance & Corporate Affairs financial
"Rio Tinto has appointed Trudi Charles to succeed Isabelle Deschamps as Chief Legal Officer, Governance & Corporate Affairs."
foreign private issuer regulatory
"FORM 6-K REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16"
A foreign private issuer is a company organized outside the United States that meets tests showing it is primarily foreign-controlled and therefore qualifies for a different set of U.S. reporting rules. For investors, that means the company files less frequent or differently formatted disclosures with U.S. regulators and may follow home-country accounting and governance practices, so buying its stock is like dining at a well-reviewed restaurant that follows its home kitchen’s rules instead of the local menu — you get access but should check what standards apply.
Law Society of England & Wales regulatory
"She is admitted to the Law Society of England & Wales, the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Queensland Law Society."
Notice to ASX/LSE regulatory
"Notice to ASX/LSE Rio Tinto appoints new Chief Legal Officer"
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
May 14, 2026
| Commission file number: 001-10533 | Commission file number: 001-34121 | ||||
| Rio Tinto plc | Rio Tinto Limited | ||||
| ABN 96 004 458 404 | |||||
(Translation of registrant’s name into English) | (Translation of registrant’s name into English) | ||||
| 6 St. James’s Square | Level 43, 120 Collins Street | ||||
| London, SW1Y 4AD, United Kingdom | Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia | ||||
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Address of principal executive offices) | ||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:
Form 20-F ☒ Form 40-F ☐
EXHIBITS
99.1Stock Exchange announcement dated 14 May 2026 entitled ‘Rio Tinto appoints new Chief Legal Officer’.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrants have duly caused this report to be signed on their behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorised.
Rio Tinto plc | Rio Tinto Limited | ||||||||||
| (Registrant) | (Registrant) | ||||||||||
By | /s/ Andrew Hodges | By | /s/ Tim Paine | ||||||||
Name | Andrew Hodges | Name | Tim Paine | ||||||||
| Title | Company Secretary | Title | Company Secretary | ||||||||
| Date | 14 May 2026 | Date | 14 May 2026 | ||||||||
Notice to ASX/LSE Rio Tinto appoints new Chief Legal Officer 14 May 2026 Rio Tinto has appointed Trudi Charles to succeed Isabelle Deschamps as Chief Legal Officer, Governance & Corporate Affairs. Trudi is currently Deputy General Counsel and Senior Vice President Legal, Supply, Trading & Shipping at BP plc. She will join Rio Tinto from 1 August 2026. Trudi has spent over 20 years at BP in various senior legal roles across its downstream and supply, trading & shipping businesses. Before this, Trudi spent almost eight years with Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer in London and Hong Kong. She is admitted to the Law Society of England & Wales, the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Queensland Law Society. Rio Tinto Chief Executive Simon Trott said: “Trudi brings deep legal experience and strong commercial insight. I look forward to having her join the executive team and lead our legal, governance and corporate affairs teams.” This announcement is authorised for release to the market by Andy Hodges, Rio Tinto’s Group Company Secretary. UK LEI: 213800YOEO5OQ72G2R82 AU LEI: 529900X2VMAQT2PE0V24 EXHIBIT 99.1
Notice to ASX/LSE Contacts Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com Media Relations, United Kingdom Matthew Klar M +44 7796 630 637 David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Australia Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Alyesha Anderson M +61 434 868 118 Rachel Pupazzoni M +61 438 875 469 Bruce Tobin M +61 419 103 454 Media Relations, Canada Vanessa Damha M +1 514 715 2152 Malika Cherry M +1 418 592 7293 Media Relations, US & Latin America Jesse Riseborough M +1 202 394 9480 Investor Relations, United Kingdom Rachel Arellano M +44 7584 609 644 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Laura Brooks M +44 7826 942 797 Weiwei Hu M +44 7825 907 230 Investor Relations, Australia Tom Gallop M +61 439 353 948 Eddie Gan-Och M +61 477 599 714 Rio Tinto plc 6 St James’s Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Rio Tinto Limited Level 43, 120 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 riotinto.com
FAQ
What leadership change did Rio Tinto (RIO) announce in this 6-K filing?
Rio Tinto announced the appointment of Trudi Charles as Chief Legal Officer, Governance & Corporate Affairs. She will succeed Isabelle Deschamps and join the company from 1 August 2026, strengthening its senior legal and governance leadership team.
When will Trudi Charles start as Chief Legal Officer at Rio Tinto (RIO)?
Trudi Charles will join Rio Tinto as Chief Legal Officer, Governance & Corporate Affairs on 1 August 2026. The appointment provides a clear transition timeline for the legal, governance and corporate affairs functions within the group’s executive leadership.
What is Trudi Charles’s background before joining Rio Tinto (RIO)?
Before joining Rio Tinto, Trudi Charles spent over 20 years at BP in senior legal roles across downstream and supply, trading and shipping. She also worked nearly eight years at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer in London and Hong Kong, building extensive international legal experience.
Which professional legal bodies is Rio Tinto’s incoming Chief Legal Officer admitted to?
Trudi Charles is admitted to the Law Society of England & Wales, the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Queensland Law Society. These memberships reflect her qualifications to practice in multiple key jurisdictions relevant to Rio Tinto’s global operations.
Who authorised the market release of Rio Tinto’s new Chief Legal Officer announcement?
The announcement was authorised for release to the market by Andy Hodges, Rio Tinto’s Group Company Secretary. This indicates formal board-level oversight and approval of the leadership change disclosure to the ASX and London Stock Exchange.
Which Rio Tinto executives are listed as company secretaries in the 6-K filing?
The filing lists Andrew Hodges as Company Secretary for Rio Tinto plc and Tim Paine as Company Secretary for Rio Tinto Limited. Both signed the report on behalf of their respective entities, confirming its accuracy and due authorisation.