Tiwai Point smelter chief executive resigns

Friday, 7 May 2021

The Tiwai Point smelter chief executive has resigned.

Stew Hamilton has been in the role since 2018, and New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) will now look for a new boss, with a bit more than three years until the planned closure of the plant.

Hamilton will leave his role as NZAS chief executive and general manager in July.

He has taken a job at electricity company Mercury.

**READ MORE:

* Rio Tinto says 'nonsense' in electricity code a barrier to saving Tiwai Point smelter

* Rio Tinto 'not bluffing' about threat to shut Tiwai Point smelter

* Rio Tinto considering closing Tiwai Aluminium Smelter

**

Hamilton began his career at Tiwai as a research engineer in 1996 and worked as far afield as the Buzwagi Gold Mine in Tanzania.

In between he led Pacific Aluminium's business improvement and technology area for Australia and New Zealand.

NZAS announced Hamilton’s appointment as chief executive and general manager in 2018 just two days after the resignation of his predecessor Gretta Stephens.

Rio Tinto owns NZAS.

On Friday, Rio Tinto Pacific operations acting general managing director Daniel van der Westhuizen said the smelter had been going through a public period of transition, and Hamilton’s commitment and leadership was hugely valued throughout that time.

In July 2020, Rio Tinto announced the smelter would close in August of this year.

However, in January, a new power deal with Meridian Energy resulted in Rio announcing it would continue operating until the end of 2024.

Hamilton said he came back to the smelter in 2018 to lead a team “that runs one of the best operations in New Zealand and around the world”.

“The last few years have been very challenging and I am proud of what the team has achieved over that time.”

Recruiting a new chief executive and general manager would now go ahead “with a commitment to responsible eventual closure of the operation”, van der Westhuizen said.