News

Dr Purdie will be a direct report to the Managing Director & CEO Lance Hockridge.

She will fill the role recently vacated by Greg Pringle and will have responsibility for Information Technology, Group Legal and General Counsel, Office of the Company Secretary, National Policy and Safety, Health and Environment.

Dr Purdie's most recent role has been at Rio Tinto as Chief Advisor Projects, Technology and Innovation. Prior to that she has served in a number of other roles at Rio Tinto including Global Practice Leader, Technology Delivery, Technology and Innovation as well as a Diamonds and Minerals Executive based in the United Kingdom.

Prior to joining Rio Tinto, Dr Purdie served in a number of other roles including as General Manager for the Alcoa Point Henry aluminium smelter, coal fired power station and mine (Geelong). In this role she had accountability for approximately 700 employees and 100 full-time contractors.

Mr Hockridge said: "Jenny has had a long and distinguished international business career with senior operational and managerial roles.

"In her most recent role she led a strategic review of the business improvement function across the Rio Tinto Group for technology and innovation.

"This experience will be invaluable as she continues to build on the work of Greg Pringle in helping reshape and strategically align Aurizon's enterprise service support functions to help drive the future growth and development of the company.

"I look forward to welcoming Jenny to the team when she commences in the role on August 1." ​ ​

Dr Jenny Purdie – Executive Vice President Enterprise Services

Dr Purdie began her career as a Process Engineer at the Altona Petrochemical Company before spending four years at the Comalco Research Centre as Senior Research Engineer/Research Engineer (1990 -1994).

From 1995 to 2000 she served in Superintendent roles for Rio Tinto at both New Zealand Aluminium Smelters and Boyne Smelters. From 2000 to 2008 Dr Purdie worked in a number of senior operational roles at Alcoa including as General Manager of Alcoa Point Henry.

In 2008 Dr Purdie re-joined Rio Tinto where she has served in a number of senior operational and managerial roles.

Dr Purdie holds a BE in Chemical and Materials Engineering as well as a PhD in Engineering both from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She also holds an Executive MBA from the University of Queensland.