Cutifani joins Anglo American

AUSTRALIAN mining executive Mark Cutifani has officially assumed the top job at one of the world's biggest miners: Anglo American PLC. The long-expected appointment was confirmed on Tuesday when Mr Cutifani resigned from the chief executive position at ASX-listed AngloGold Ashanti.

Mr Cutifani will start work at Anglo American on April 3, five months after Cynthia Carroll quit the post in late October.

Anglo American is not listed in Australia but operates coal, gold and manganese assets across most of the nation's states, including Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales.

There has been speculation in recent months that Ms Carroll's replacement may be forced to break up the company by selling off assets to rival mining majors.

Mr Cutifani was an outspoken critic of the Labor Party's plan to introduce a resource super profits tax in 2010. The plan was watered down to the Minerals Resource Rent Tax now in place.

Generational change is sweeping through the mining sector, with leadership changes recently taking place at North American gold majors Barrick and Newmont.

Rio Tinto chief financial officer Guy Elliott will retire at the end of 2013, while BHP Billiton chief executive Marius Kloppers is widely expected to end his tenure at the company within the next 12 months.

In other appointments, Fortescue Metals Group announced on Tuesday that David Woodall would assume the role of operations director on January 14.