Natural Resources >> CEO Interviews >> November 22, 1999
PATRICK M. JAMES is President and Chief Executive Officer of Rio Algom
Limited. He earned an Engineer of Mines Degree in 1968 from Colorado
School of Mines and was named a CSM Distinguished Achievement Medalist
in 1995. Mr. James holds a Masters of Management degree from the
Anderson School of Management, University of New Mexico. He began his
career in Grants, New Mexico, with Kerr McGee Nuclear Corporation, where
he worked in new mine development and supervision. Later, he was job
superintendent on two major shafts at the Carr Fork mine in Utah for
Peter Kiewit Sons Company. He joined Gulf Mineral Resources in 1975 and
served as operations manager during the development of the Mount Taylor
Mine in New Mexico. In 1979 Mr. James became part of a new company that
eventually evolved into Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation. Over the
next 18 years he rose through positions of increasing responsibility in
mine construction, development, and operations, and was named President
and Chief Operating Officer in 1994, and Chairman, President, and Chief
Executive Officer in 1995. During the time he was with Santa Fe, it
grew from an exploration company to one of the major gold producers in
the United States. Following the merger of Santa Fe Pacific Gold and
Newmont Mining in 1997, he joined Rio Algom Limited as President and
Chief Executive Officer. Mr. James' deep commitment to education in the
engineering and earth science disciplines has led him to involvement
with Science Fairs and many other projects within his companies and
industry, especially with the Mineral Information Institute. He is a
Director of Rio Algom Limited, the National Mining Association, the
Mineral Information Institute, the Mining Association of Canada, the
International Copper Association, and the International Council on
Metals and the Environment. Mr. James was honored in March 1999 by the
American Society of Mining Engineers with the prestigious Daniel
Jackling Award for outstanding career achievement. Profile
put us into context as to what the company has come from, then what is
the company and the business today.
Mr. James:
