Paul Graves
AngloGold Ashanti plc has appointed former Rio Tinto Lithium chief executive Paul Graves as an independent non-executive director, adding more than three decades of natural resources, finance and public company leadership experience to its board.
Graves will join the AngloGold Ashanti board effective October 1, 2026. He will also serve on the company’s Audit and Risk Committee and its Social, Ethics and Sustainability Committee.
The appointment gives the global gold producer a director whose career spans mining and commodities operations, corporate finance and investment banking. Graves most recently served as chief executive of Rio Tinto Lithium following Rio Tinto’s acquisition of Arcadium Lithium, where he had been president and CEO.
His experience in lithium also gives AngloGold Ashanti’s board exposure to another major segment of the global mining industry, including the capital allocation, project development and market dynamics surrounding commodities tied to electrification and battery supply chains.
Before Arcadium Lithium, Graves was president and CEO of Livent Corporation, the lithium producer that combined with Allkem to create Arcadium. His earlier corporate career included six years as executive vice president and chief financial officer of FMC Corporation from 2012 through 2018.
That combination of chief executive and CFO experience is particularly relevant to Graves’ appointment to AngloGold Ashanti’s Audit and Risk Committee, where financial oversight, capital discipline and risk management are central responsibilities.
Earlier in his career, Graves spent 12 years in investment banking at Goldman Sachs. He became a partner at the firm and held senior positions including head of Natural Resources Asia and global head of Chemical Investment Banking.
Across those roles, Graves developed experience advising companies and investors on financing and strategic transactions within capital-intensive industries. His background therefore spans both the corporate and advisory sides of natural resources, providing AngloGold Ashanti with additional expertise in evaluating investment decisions and long-term capital priorities.
“Paul brings to the Board a rare combination of international executive leadership, deep financial discipline and decades of experience across commodities and natural resources,” AngloGold Ashanti Chair Jochen Tilk said. “His skill set and impressive track record will bring exceptional value to AngloGold Ashanti as we continue to execute on our long-term strategy.”
Graves also currently serves on the board of Charles River Laboratories International Inc. He chairs that company’s Strategic Planning and Capital Allocation Committee and is a member of its Audit Committee, extending his governance experience beyond the mining and natural resources sectors.
His appointment comes as AngloGold Ashanti continues to balance operational performance with capital allocation, portfolio management and sustainability considerations across an international mining business. The committee assignments place Graves directly within board oversight of financial and enterprise risks as well as environmental, social and ethical matters.
For AngloGold Ashanti, the addition strengthens the board with an executive who has managed publicly traded natural resources businesses while also working extensively in corporate finance. Graves’ recent leadership in lithium, earlier experience at FMC and investment banking background at Goldman Sachs provide a combination of operating, transactional and capital markets expertise as the company pursues its long-term strategy.