Jacynthe Côté
Chief Executive Officer
Rio Tinto Alcan

Jacynthe Côté is chief executive of Rio Tinto Alcan, the global leader in the aluminium industry, and executive committee member of Rio Tinto, a leading international mining group.  In her role, Ms. Côté is responsible for Rio Tinto Alcan’s global bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium production and power generation.

Prior to taking on her current role on 1 February 2009, Ms. Côté served as president and chief executive officer of Rio Tinto Alcan’s Primary Metal business group, following Rio Tinto’s acquisition of Alcan Inc. in October 2007.

From April 2005 to October 2007, Ms. Côté was president and chief executive officer of Alcan’s Bauxite and Alumina business group and senior vice president of Alcan Inc.

She served as vice president, Human Resources, Environment, Health and Safety for Alcan Primary Metal from January 2003 to March 2005 and, from December 2000 to December 2002, as vice president, Business Planning and Development.

Ms. Côté joined Alcan in 1988 as a process analyst at the Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Quebec and until 2000, occupied several production/managerial positions in Quebec and in England.

In January 2010, Jacynthe Côté was chosen as Personality of the Year in the Business, Administration and Institutions category at the Gala Excellence La Presse / Radio-Canada and, in 2006, she was named a “Women of Distinction” by the Women’s Y Foundation of Montreal.

Ms. Côté is a member of the International Aluminium Institute and the Quebec Council of Manufacturers. In June 2009, she was elected to the Board of Montreal’s École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC).

Born in Normandin, Quebec, she holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Laval University.  She is married with three children.

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