NEW CUSTOMER FOCUSED GROUP DEDICATED TO GROWTH AND INNOVATION

Alcan Packaging creates new customer-focused group dedicated to growth, innovation, sustainability and increased brand value

April 14, 2008 

Alcan Packaging, a division of Rio Tinto Alcan, has announced two senior management nominations to advance its strategy to maximize profitable growth and innovation, while ensuring customers' needs are met and exceeded in a competitive marketplace.

Ilene Gordon, president and chief executive officer of Alcan Packaging, has named Michael Rubenstein, currently president of the Global Pharmaceutical Packaging business, to the newly created position of chief growth and innovation officer, effective 16 April 2008. In this new leadership role, Mr. Rubenstein will lead a team dedicated to help deliver Alcan Packaging's strategy to create sustainable value through innovation, customer partnerships and new growth platforms. This new group will contribute to further differentiate both customers and Alcan Packaging in the marketplace.

"Establishing this team under Michael Rubenstein's direction demonstrates our passion for packaging and serving our customers with inspiring solutions," said Ilene Gordon. "We are committed to excel and achieve our growth agenda. This newly assembled, high-calibre organization, consisting of talent primarily from across our business, will ensure we are even more closely linked with our customers."

"I am excited about this opportunity to champion a value innovation culture throughout our business that will help increase the velocity of our growth and bring our organization to the next level," said Mr. Rubenstein. "This dedicated team will be focused on building world-class partnerships with our customers to develop innovative products and services. Our goal is to provide true market distinction, create unique value for our customers and consumers, and reinforce our commitment to sustainability."

Mr. Rubenstein has held several senior management positions in the packaging industry. His 30 years of experience is complemented with studies in Printing Technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, New York) and an immersion in World Class Partnerships at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina). He holds Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commerce degrees from Concordia University (Montreal, Canada). He is based in Kirkland, Quebec.

In addition, Mike Schmitt, who continues as president, Food Packaging Americas, takes over as President, Global Pharmaceutical Packaging, a US$1 billion business. The businesses are headquartered in Chicago and Kirkland, respectively and will continue to be run separately. "I look forward to the challenges of these expanded responsibilities and to working with the Global Pharmaceutical team to implement their strategy of growth and manufacturing excellence," said Mr. Schmitt. "While Food Americas and Global Pharmaceutical are different businesses with their own characteristics, they share a common focus to satisfy customers and a passion to exceed expectations," he added.

With 25 years experience in the packaging industry, Mr. Schmitt was named to lead the Food Americas business, with sales of approximately US$1.4 billion, in December 2006. He joined the company in 2000 as head of the Food & Specialty Flexibles business unit after spending 17 years with Bemis Corporation. Mr. Schmitt has a Bachelor of Science degree in Packaging from Michigan State University (East Lansing, Michigan), and a Master of Business Administration degree from Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan).

Alcan Packaging is a world leader in value-added specialty packaging. It delivers multi-material innovative solutions to customers around the world for the food, pharmaceutical, beauty and tobacco markets.  Led by Ilene Gordon, president and CEO, Alcan Packaging is headquartered in Paris, France. With 128 facilities and 30,000 employees in 31 countries, it generated US$6.2 billion revenues in 2007. For more information, please visit http://www.alcanpackaging.com/.

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.

Forward-Looking Statements 

This announcement includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this announcement, including, without limitation, those regarding Rio Tinto's financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to Rio Tinto's products, production forecasts and reserve and resource positions), are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Rio Tinto, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding Rio Tinto's present and future business strategies and the environment in which Rio Tinto will operate in the future. Among the important factors that could cause Rio Tinto's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, levels of actual production during any period, levels of demand and market prices, the ability to produce and transport products profitably, the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on market prices and operating costs, operational problems, political uncertainty and economic conditions in relevant areas of the world, the actions of competitors, activities by governmental authorities such as changes in taxation or regulation and such other risk factors identified in Rio Tinto's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") or Form 6-Ks furnished to the SEC. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be construed in light of such risk factors and undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Rio Tinto expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking (except as required by applicable law, the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Takeover Code"), the UK Listing Rules, the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Services Authority and the Listing Rules of the Australian Securities Exchange) to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Rio Tinto's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Nothing in this announcement should be interpreted to mean that future earnings per share of Rio Tinto plc or Rio Tinto Limited will necessarily match or exceed its historical published earnings per share.

Subject to the requirements of the Takeover Code, none of Rio Tinto, any of its officers or any person named in this announcement with their consent or any person involved in the preparation of this announcement makes any representation or warranty (either express or implied) or gives any assurance that the implied values, anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in forward-looking statements contained in this announcement will be achieved.

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