Kent Franey

    General Manager, Rhodes Ridge, Rio Tinto

Kent has a wealth of experience and a vast understanding of the mining industry since starting his mining journey in 1995. Throughout his mining career, he has held diverse leadership roles spanning various commodities, including iron ore, direct reduced iron, lithium, nickel, tin and tantalum. Kent’s expertise extends to a wide range of processing, encompassing smelting, refining, and bulk commodities processing. He has navigated pivotal positions, serving as Manager for Fixed Plant, Asset Management and Engineering, and Health and Safety, as well as General Manager across multiple Rio Tinto iron ore production sites. Presently, Kent applies his versatile knowledge as General Manager for Rhodes Ridge and in the Operational Readiness domain.

His dedication to continuous growth within his professional roles is evident through his completion of a Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, and attaining the Site Senior Executive qualification. Kent’s contributions to the industry have been instrumental, marked by recent achievements such as securing the highest Rio Tinto Iron Ore score for Safety Maturity Model, a substantial reduction in on-site incidents, and receiving the Safety Award for Special Commendation for Outstanding Safety Leadership in 2022.