Executive chairman
Dr. Gina Rinehart AO
Executive Chairman and Director
Gina Rinehart is a leading figure in the mining and agricultural industries in Australia. She is also a leading figure in Australia’s Olympics efforts, being patron of 4 teams and the largest single non-government contributor to the Olympic effort in Australia’s history, and has received the rare honour of an order of merit from the Australian Olympic Committee for her contribution.
She spent her childhood between the Pilbara, in north-west Australia, where she lived with her parents on large sheep and cattle properties in the remote and rugged region, then from 8 years old attending boarding school at St. Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls in Perth.
Since becoming Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting in 1992, Mrs Rinehart has transformed the business from one that was in difficulties and financially troubled to a very successful industry-leading innovator.
Under Mrs Rinehart’s leadership, Hancock has diversified from prospecting to become a miner, and further investing in iron ore, gold, copper, potash, met coal, cattle, dairy and property.
Hancock Prospecting has grown under her leadership to become the most successful private mining company in Australia ever, and one of the most successful private mining companies in the world, as well as the most successful private company in Australia’s history.
To view a full biography and list of awards please visit www.ginarinehart.com.au/biography
Hancock Energy Directors
Stuart Johnston
Hancock Energy CEO
Over 30 years’ experience in international and Australian energy and infrastructure businesses.
Between 2017 and 2021 he was CEO of Squadron Energy an Australian company focused on exploration and development projects in the natural resources and energy sector. Prior to that between 2010 to 2017 he was CEO of DBP Transmission (DBP). DBP was the owner and operator of the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline, Western Australia’s most important piece of energy infrastructure.
His role prior to joining DBP was Vice President Strategy, Portfolio & Planning with Shell Upstream International in the Hague. Overall he had a 20 year career with Shell working in Australia, the Netherlands, the USA, the UK and throughout Asia. During his career with Shell he gained experience in pipeline operations, offshore construction, LNG, energy pricing and business development.
He has a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Nottingham and a MBA from London Business School.
Tad Watroba
Executive Director
Fifty years’ total experience in both open cut and underground mining, encompassing mining operations, mine planning, feasibility studies, project financial evaluation, negotiations with government and non-government organizations, business development, joint venture participation, project commissioning, exploration management, audits and other related activities.
Tad has worked in iron ore, manganese, gold, brown and black coal, oil shale, copper, zinc and lead and was employed by Bechtel and several small-to-medium sized gold companies prior to joining HPPL in 1991.
Tad has broad and significant experience with mining projects in Australia, Papua New Guinea (Ok Tedi), China and New Zealand.
Ian Plimer
Executive Director
Professor Ian Plimer is Emeritus Professor at The University of Melbourne where he was Professor and Head (1991-2005). He was Professor of Geology (University of Newcastle 1985-1991), Professor of Ore Deposit Geology (Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich 1991) and Professor of Mining Geology (University of Adelaide 2005-2012). He previously worked as an exploration geologist for North Broken Hill Ltd and Niugini Mining Ltd and was on the staff at Macquarie, UNSW and New England Universities.
He has been awarded inter alia the prestigious Leopold von Buch Medal for Science, the Centenary Medal, the Eureka Prize (twice) and is a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. He has published more than 130 scientific works and is author of eleven books for the general public, five of which were best sellers.
Professor Plimer’s main geological interests are in ore deposits in base metal deposits (particularly in Broken Hill; epithermal precious metals, Sn-W systems). A Broken Hill zinc mineral is named in his honour. He served on the Boards of listed public companies (Ivanhoe Australia Ltd, Niuminco Group Ltd, Kefi Minerals plc), unlisted companies (such as Roy Hill Holdings Pty Ltd, Atlas Iron Pty Ltd, Queensland Coal Investments Pty Ltd, TNT Mines Ltd, HPXploration Inc) and is President of Hancock Prospecting’s Ecuador company Hanrine Ecuadorian Exploration and Mining SA. He also served on the Board of the ASX-listed CBH Resources (1998-2010) until it was acquired by Toho Zinc and continues to advise Toho Zinc.
