MARK Cutifani, the outgoing CEO of Anglo American, said he would not discount working one day for a rival of the UK group as “the industry changes quickly”.
Commenting in an interview with the Financial Mail about a month before handing over to Duncan Wanblad, Cutifani also said: “I would have to think hard about working on another major [mining company]. But the industry changes quickly and so you never say never.”
He added that the group was inevitably heading for a refresh of senior management as two of its most senior officers were heading towards 60 years.
Stephen Pearce is 58 this year while Anglo’s technical director Tony O’Niell is 64, a year older than Cutifani. CEO of De Beers, Bruce Cleaver is 56 although Cutifani said Cleaver had “got another CEO role in him at the moment”.
“Tony and Stephen will be a bit different, but Duncan has to refresh the organisation anyway. So it will come, but we have set a new set of foundations,” said Cutifani.
“Duncan knows where we come from, he knows where we are and I think he’s got a good idea of where to go,” Cutifani said.
Asked about his immediate future, Cutifani said he would retain his board post at French energy firm Total although he’s not interested in becoming its chairman. “You have to be French-speaking; it’s France’s largest company,” he said.
Cutifani is also interested in getting involved “in the equity side of things, project stuff”. Cutifani cites a recent memorandum between Anglo and energy provider EDF to build a solar and wind renewable platform that will supply Anglo’s SA operations by 2030. “I don’t want to be locked in but if someone in South Africa wants help …?”, he said.
