Rothschild & Co has taken on the former chair of mining giant, Rio Tinto, to help bolster its coverage of the mining and global resources sectors in the UK.

Simon Thompson is joining the independent investment bank as a senior adviser in its UK advisory business, Rothschild said in a statement. Thompson stepped down as chair of Rio Tinto in May, having held the role for over four years.

He is set to join Rothschild on 1 December and will be based in the UK. He will focus on building out the bank’s coverage of global mining and natural resources and its investor advisory practice, the bank said.

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A former dealmaker, Thompson previously worked at Rothschild for nine years until 1994, before leaving for SG Warburg. He has held various senior roles since including head of finance at Anglo American group and has sat on boards including Amec Foster Wheeler and AngloGold Ashanti.

Rothschild has a roster of industry figures working as senior advisers for its investment bank. In the UK, it took on Lord Mark Sedwill, formerly the UK’s top civil servant, to its board last September and later hired Charles Martin, a former senior M&A partner at law firm Macfarlanes, as a senior adviser.

Robert Leitão, managing partner at Rothschild & Co, said in a statement: “Simon brings a wealth of international experience in business and finance. He is an experienced and thoughtful adviser, and his guidance will be of immense value to our Global Advisory clients as they navigate today’s challenging business environment.”

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