Mark Cutifani

Chairman, Vale Base Metals

2024 AMERICAN MINING HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

Mark Cutifani, CBE, has over 47 years of international experience in the mining industry, covering a broad range of products. He is an Australian businessman, Chairman of Vale Base Metals, and the Senior Independent Director with Laing O'Rourke leading the board's Sustainability Committee. He is a non-executive director of Total S.A and chairs the board's Remuneration Committee.

In January 2024, Cutifani was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Investment in the Global Mining Industry and included the New Year Honours List, which recognizes "the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the U.K."

Cutifani received an honorary doctorate from the University of Wollongong in Australia in 2013 and an honorary doctorate from Laurentian University in Canada in 2016.

Cutifani is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the AusIMM, and the Institute of Engineers. He is a recipient of the AusIMM Institute Medal for services to the Australian and global mining industry, the Mines and Money Lifetime Achievement Award winner, and the Brigadier Stokes Memorial Award (South Africa) for services to South Africa and global mining industry.

Cutifani is from Wollongong, Australia. After high school, he joined Coal Cliff colliery and earned a degree in Mining Engineering at the University of Wollongong, graduating at the top of his class.  

After working for Coal Cliff, he joined Kalgoorlie Gold Mines, and later the Western Mining Corporation, Normandy Mining, and Sons of Gwalia. He became the managing director of Sons of Gwalia in March 2000. In October 2006, Cutifani was appointed COO for Inco Limited after the takeover by Vale S.A. He led the subsidiary to become Vale's global nickel business, based in Canada. Cutifani has held various management roles at Normandy Group, Sons of Gwalia, Western Mining Corporation, Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines and CRA (Rio Tinto). He was previously the CEO of AngloGold Ashanti Limited and is credited with dismantling AngloGold Ashanti's hedge book.

In 2013, he was then appointed to the role of CEO for the global mining group, Anglo American.  After 9 years of restructuring Anglo American was the best performing major mining group as measured by Total Shareholder Returns over that same period.  In 2019 he was named Mining CEO of the Year and Most Sustainable Mining Leader in Europe in the same year.