Rio Tinto Alcan names Sandeep Biswas to executive management team

MONTREAL, Oct. 31, 2007 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- RTP | charts | news | PowerRating -- Rio Tinto Alcan today announced that Sandeep Biswas will join the group's executive management team. Mr. Biswas will lead the Business Development function at Rio Tinto Alcan's headquarters in Montreal, Canada.

Previously, Mr. Biswas was managing director, smelting, Australia, Rio Tinto Aluminum, where he was responsible for Rio Tinto Aluminum's smelters in Gladstone, Queensland and Bell Bay, Tasmania and for global sales and marketing and greenfield smelter development.

"Rio Tinto Alcan is pleased to welcome Sandeep into the executive management team of the new world leader in aluminium. Through his international experience in the resource sector, Sandeep is highly qualified to lead this strategic function," said Dick Evans, chief executive, Rio Tinto Alcan. "Sandeep's appointment underlines the shared talents of Rio Tinto Aluminium and Alcan, demonstrating that the new group is well positioned to capitalize on our leadership position in the aluminium industry," he added.

Sandeep Biswas' main responsibilities will include business development for Rio Tinto Alcan's upstream business units, technology sales, growth and product group strategic alliances and investments.

Prior to joining Rio Tinto, his roles included working as General Manager of the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter for WMC Resources and the Murrin Murrin joint venture nickel- cobalt mining operation. He also held roles for MIM Holdings in operating, strategy and research in Australia, Germany and England.

Mr. Biswas is an Engineer with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Queensland.

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.

%B NM %C 1,12 %D Sandeep Biswas Nomination

SOURCE: ALCAN - EN

SOURCE: RIO TINTO GROUP

SOURCE: Rio Tinto Alcan

Media Relations, Montreal: Bryan Tucker, +1 514 848-8151, media.relations@alcan.com; questions@riotinto.com; Website: www.riotinto.com; High resolution photographs available at: www.newscast.co.uk

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