Macarthur taps Rio veteran to drive WA iron ore ambitions

Macarthur Minerals has strengthened its board with the appointment of former Rio Tinto Simandou project chief Nigel Jones as a non-executive director, bringing extensive experience in iron ore, project development and corporate finance to the company.

Jones, who has been consulting to Macarthur since February 2025 on potential strategic transactions, is expected to join the board immediately. He replaces outgoing non-executive director Eduardo Robiana, who is retiring after contributing international mining, finance and corporate development expertise to the company.

The incoming director previously served as managing director of Rio Tinto’s giant Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, widely regarded as one of the world’s largest undeveloped iron ore deposits. In that role, Jones oversaw development of the multi-billion-dollar project, including financing, stakeholder engagement, government relations and associated rail and port infrastructure.

Jones spent almost two decades with Rio Tinto in a range of senior leadership positions overseeing major investment reviews, divestment programs and capital market activities across the global resources sector.

‘I am pleased to join the Macarthur board at a time when there is growing momentum in the Lake Giles project.’

Following his career at Rio Tinto, Jones became head of private side capital markets at ICBC Standard Bank in London, leading investment banking activities focused on natural resources.

Macarthur Minerals executive chairman Cameron McCall said: “We are pleased to welcome Nigel to the board. Having worked with him as a consultant since February 2025, the board has already benefited from his extensive experience in transactions, project development and global resource markets. His appointment strengthens the board as we continue to pursue strategic opportunities.”

McCall added the board had already benefited from Jones’ expertise through his consultancy role with the company.

Newly-minted director Nigel Jones said: “I am pleased to join the Macarthur board at a time when there is growing momentum in the Lake Giles project and new ways of technical thinking about magnetite processing. Lake Giles has been well studied and there is considerable embedded value in the deposit, which new approaches may help to unlock.”

Macarthur is advancing its Lake Giles iron ore project, 250 kilometres northwest of Kalgoorlie in WA’s Yilgarn region, which hosts substantial hematite and magnetite resources and is the company’s principal development focus.

The project includes the development-approved Ularring hematite resource, estimated to contain an indicated 54.5Mt tonnes at 47.2 per cent iron and an inferred 26Mt tonnes at 45.4 per cent iron. It also contains proven ore reserves of 51.9Mt and probable ore reserves of 184.7Mt.

Additionally, the company’s Lake Giles magnetite resource contains a 53.9Mt measured resource, supplemented by 218.7Mt in the indicated category and a further 997Mt in the inferred category.

Macarthur also holds 24 square kilometres of tenement across its iron exploration interests in WA’s Pilbara region.

With Jones now formally sitting at the board table, Macarthur has added a proven heavyweight with significant experience taking world-class iron ore projects from concept to execution. As the company continues to advance Lake Giles and weigh its strategic options, his dealmaking pedigree and project development expertise could prove invaluable in unlocking the next chapter for the WA iron ore hopeful.

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