# Matthew Whyte

Group Company Secretary and Company Secretary of Rio Tinto plc

## Career chronology

- **2026-05-18 onward: Rio Tinto** — Group Company Secretary and Company Secretary of Rio Tinto plc. [Appointment of group company secretary](<https://company-announcements.afr.com/asx/rio/a8a07340-5282-11f1-93de-da324c783874.pdf>) (appointment of group and plc secretary)

## Governance and interests

### Historic Guinea controls settlement [matthew-w_governance1]

2011–2023 · documented · medium materiality

The SEC found Rio Tinto’s records and internal controls deficient in connection with a 2011 consultant’s attempted improper payment in Guinea. In 2023 Rio Tinto agreed a US$15 million civil penalty without admitting or denying the SEC findings.

**Attribution:** Employer context; no individual link established. No involvement by this executive in the 2011 matter is established; the settlement concerned the company.

**Relevance:** Historical corporate controls context.

[SEC charges Rio Tinto with bribery controls failures](<https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023-46>) (SEC findings and corporate settlement); [Rio Tinto resolves SEC investigation](<https://www.riotinto.com/news/releases/2023/rio-tinto-resolves-legacy-u_s_-securities-and-exchange-commission-fcpa-investigation>) (issuer response)

## Suitability for the current role

### New group and plc company secretary [matthew-w_fit]

Career through October 2026 · analyst inference · medium materiality

Rio Tinto appointed Whyte group and plc company secretary effective 18 May 2026. His prior career and qualifications could not be independently linked with sufficient confidence; the available record limits a role-fit assessment.

**Attribution:** Responsibility not applicable. The appointment is documented; the role-fit judgment is limited because earlier experience is not established.

**Relevance:** Experience relevant to the stated remit.

[Appointment of group company secretary](<https://company-announcements.afr.com/asx/rio/a8a07340-5282-11f1-93de-da324c783874.pdf>) (appointment of group and plc secretary)

## Evidence gaps

- Independent credential and membership verification remains incomplete.

- Prior-employer and person-specific court, regulator, fraud, environment and safety searches are incomplete; documented screening is not a clearance.

- Prior career and education cannot be confidently linked from same-name results; no prior-employer role is asserted.