Rio Tinto announced it has appointed Matthew Breen as the new chief operating officer of the Diavik diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Breen, previously general manager of operations at Diavik, will lead the mine and its 1,230 employees in the next phase of its development.
Breen is an experienced operational leader, Rio said, and has worked across multiple operations and geographies over the past two decades, including in his most recent role as general manager of operations at Diavik.
Breen succeeds Angela Bigg, who after a successful six years at Diavik, will be taking a period of leave before returning to Rio Tinto in a different leadership role.
“I am delighted that Matt will be leading the team at Diavik diamond mine as it continues to supply our customers with high-quality, responsibly sourced Canadian diamonds, while preparing to leave a positive legacy in partnership with our community and government partners,” Rio Tinto Minerals chief executive Sinead Kaufman said in the statement.
“I would like to thank Angela for her six years at Diavik during which time she has shown strong leadership and care during challenging times,“ Kaufman added.