Rio Tinto board

Rio Tinto PLC
10 February 2003

Rio Tinto board


Mr J C A Leslie will resign from the Rio Tinto boards with effect from the end
of March 2003 to become the chief executive of Sappi Limited.


Sir Robert Wilson, Rio Tinto's chairman, said: 'In the 25 years Jonathan has
been with us, he has made an important contribution to the many different parts
of the Group in which he has worked including, of course, the board itself. I
thank him for all he has done and wish him every success in his new career.'





For further information, please contact:


LONDON                                                  AUSTRALIA
Media Relations                                         Media Relations
Hugh Leggatt                                            Ian Head
+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2273                                   [phone]

Investor Relations                                      Investor Relations
Peter Cunningham                                        Dave Skinner
+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2401                                   [phone]
Richard Brimelow                                        Daphne Morros
+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2326                                   [phone]



Website: www.riotinto.com




Note for editors:



Mr Jonathan Leslie, who is 52, joined Rio Tinto in 1977 and was appointed to the
Rio Tinto plc board in 1994 and became a director of Rio Tinto Limited in 1995.
At different times, he has worked for the Group in the UK, Australia, Africa and
the US. Before joining the board he held a variety of commercial and management
roles and subsequently was appointed chief executive of Rio Tinto's Copper group
in 1997 and then chief executive of what is now the Diamonds & Gold group in
1999.



Sappi Limited is a Johannesburg based global paper company with manufacturing
operations in Europe, North America and Southern Africa and customers in more
than 100 countries.




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