Fortescue mining boss Fiona Hick walks
Fortescue Metals boss Fiona Hick will leave the company just six months after starting as chief executive, in the latest senior management exit from the company chaired by billionaire businessman Andrew Forrest.
Ms Hick was only announced as the leader of Fortescue’s iron ore division in November, but on Monday the company said she would exit by mutual agreement of the board. “The departure of Fiona has been both friendly and mutual, and we warmly wish her the best for her future,” Dr Forrest said.
Fiona Hick was only appointed Fortescue Metals chief executive in November. Trevor Collens
Fortescue’s operations boss Dino Otranto will be promoted to chief executive of the mining division, putting him on par with Mark Hutchinson, who runs Fortescue’s clean energy division.
Ms Hick becomes the tenth senior executive to leave Fortescue within a three-year period of turbulence at the company; Fortescue’s chief financial officer Ian Wells announced his decision to quit in January.
Before joining Fortescue, Ms Hick spent 22 years at Woodside Energy after starting her career as an engineer at Rio Tinto in 1996. At Fortescue, she was charged with delivering on plans to spend more than $US6 billion ($9.4 billion) to switch the company’s iron ore mines to renewable energy, and with completing the trouble-plagued Iron Bridge magnetite project.
In other changes at the mining and energy group, Dr Forrest’s boardroom ally, Mark Barnaba, will no longer be classified as independent. He will, however, remain on the board as deputy chairman.
Andrew and Nicola Forrest announced their intention to separate in July.
More to come.
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