Elias Scafidas
Elias Scafidas is the Chief Financial Officer, Copper for Rio Tinto, based in London. He is a member of the Copper Senior Leadership Team and the Rio Tinto Finance Leadership Team. He oversees the global finance function for Rio Tinto’s Copper group with annual revenues of US$7 billion and EBITDA of $4 billion, with operations and development projects in the US, Australia, Canada, Mongolia, Chile and West Africa. He has accountability for the provision of strategic and commercial advice, oversight of financial decision making and business improvement strategies for the portfolio, whilst ensuring appropriate corporate governance.
Prior to this role, Elias was Managing Director, Corporate Strategy & Development for Rio Tinto, where he led a range of corporate M&A activities for the Rio Tinto group. From 2014 to 2017 Elias held senior leadership roles of President – Simandou, Energy and Minerals and Chief Commercial Officer – Diamonds and Minerals. He led the Simandou joint venture between Rio Tinto, a consortium of five Chinese State Owned Enterprises, the Government of the Republic of Guinea and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation for the development of a US$20 billion iron ore and infrastructure project in West Africa and was chairman of the joint venture board.
Elias has also held positions in Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore group and the group’s head office. He has held several director positions representing Rio Tinto. Prior to joining Rio Tinto, Elias was at PwC in Australia in Financial Assurance and then in Advisory. Elias is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and has lived in several countries.