Rio Tinto has appointed Barbara Levi to succeed Philip Richards as Group executive, Group General Counsel. Ms Levi, who is currently Group Legal Head, M&A and Strategic Transactions for Novartis, will join Rio Tinto on 1 January 2020. Mr Richards will retire from Rio Tinto on 31 December 2019.
Ms Levi, an Italian citizen, has over 20 years’ experience in a number of senior legal roles across Europe and in the US, both in corporate and private practice. She joined Novartis in 2004 and has held a variety of positions including General Counsel, Sandoz, from 2016-2019 and was previously Global Legal Head, Product Strategy & Commercialisation, Pharma. She also has significant experience across ethics, integrity, and governance having been Head of the Anti-Bribery & Corruption Practice Team, the Trade Sanctions Practice Team, and Head of Legal & Compliance, Region AMAC (Africa, Middle East, Asian Countries) & GEM (Growth Emerging Markets), at Novartis.
Prior to joining Novartis, she worked for several years as a corporate and transactional attorney with law firms in New York City and Milan. Ms Levi is an attorney-at-law, admitted to the US Supreme Court, the New York Bar, and the Italian Bar (Milan).
Rio Tinto chief executive J-S Jacques said “Barbara has extensive legal experience across corporate, commercial and compliance matters gained within a complex multinational organisation which makes her an ideal choice to lead Rio Tinto’s legal and compliance team. I am delighted to welcome her to Rio Tinto and look forward to having her join the executive team.
