Sourcing

Rio Tinto Appoints First Female President of Diavik Diamond Mine

SourcingDec 20, 2021

Rio Tinto Appoints First Female President of Diavik Diamond Mine

Angela Bigg has been with the mining company since 2005.

20211221_Angela-Bigg-Diavik.jpg
Rio Tinto has named Angela Bigg, who has been with the company since 2005, the president and chief operating officer of the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada.
Yellowknife, Canada—Rio Tinto has appointed Angela Bigg president and chief operating officer of the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada. 
 
The move makes Bigg the first female to lead the mine and its 1,100 employees. 
 
She succeeds Richard Storrie in the role, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities, Rio Tinto said. 
 
Bigg began her career at Rio Tinto in 2005, working in Mozambique, South Africa, and her native Australia.
 
She joined the Diavik team in November 2017 as vice president, finance, and most recently served as general manager, operations. 
 
“Angela has a deep knowledge of our people and our operations, as well as established relationships with local communities. I’m delighted she will be Diavik’s first female president, as we continue to focus on supplying customers with high-quality, responsibly sourced Canadian diamonds, while preparing to leave a positive legacy in partnership with our community and government partners,” Rio Tinto Minerals CEO Sinead Kaufman said. 
 
Rio Tinto became the sole of owner of Diavik last month, acquiring the remaining 40 percent it didn’t own from Dominion Diamond Mines. 

It has operated Diavik since production began in 2003.
 
The mine is located approximately 186 miles northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. In 2020, it produced 6.2 million carats of rough diamonds.
 
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