Rio Tinto and Leadership WA - the legacy and the future

In our 20th year of operation, we are excited to announce a renewed partnership with Leadership WA's original founding partner Rio Tinto, in a deal worth $150,000 over three years. 

Leadership WA, an independent not-for-profit organisation at the forefront of leadership development in Western Australia, is driven by the vision of championing courageous leadership to build a better WA. We achieve this by delivering experiential leadership development programs and courses, as well as social impact initiatives through an incredible network of almost 1300 Alumni and our Skillsbank Initiative.

Back in 2004, when the Board of the Rio Tinto Futures Fund recognised the need for such an organisation for the state, they pledged their support as the founding partner of Leadership WA. 

In 2024 this legacy continues, with Rio Tinto returning to sponsor our flagship Signature Leadership Program. 

The Signature Leadership Program is aimed at high performing leaders and takes participants on a journey of self-awareness, self-mastery, and exposure to the dynamic issues and opportunities facing Western Australia.

Over ten months, participants explore leadership through the lens of current and future issues and engage with a range of inspirational leaders who candidly share insights to their experiences and challenges. Visits to regional WA are a critical part of their experiential learning journey, in understanding what is important to our State. 

The annual field trip to the Pilbara is a highly regarded experience. The visit provokes thought and leadership action about what it means to live in the regional areas of WA and develops in participants a greater sense of connection to the broader WA community.

When substantially rising travel costs and finite funding put the future of the Pilbara experience in jeopardy, Leadership WA Chief Executive Officer, Dominique Mecoy OAM, reached out to Rio Tinto to explore a renewed relationship, aimed at securing the continuation of the Pilbara visit. 

“The Pilbara Field Trip is an integral part of our Signature Leadership Program,” Dominique Mecoy said. 

“For 20 years, we have been bringing our cohorts to the Pilbara as a significant feature of our Program. Our Signature participants are a diverse and established cohort of leaders, who highly anticipate the opportunity to experience first-hand this powerhouse region of our state.” 

“Being ‘on the land’ and spending time with those who live, breathe and lead in the Pilbara is a priceless experience. Over many years we have seen participants gain a far greater level of understanding of the region, an elevated level of respect and opportunities to collaborate.” said Dominique.

When I reached out to Rio Tinto, the Capability Development team quickly saw the incredible value that Leadership WA has contributed over the past 20 years and were enthusiastic in their response to return as a major partner.” 

“We are delighted that Rio Tinto’s major sponsorship of the Program ensures the Pilbara visit is now assured for the next three years. 

Ron Mutambiranwa, Rio Tinto General Manager, Capability Development, Iron Ore, was enthusiastic at the opportunity to renew the relationship, stating, 

“As the founding partner of Leadership WA 20 years ago, we are very proud to be returning to sponsor the Signature Leadership Program.” 

“We greatly value the opportunity to provide senior leaders in the State with an on-the-ground understanding of the Pilbara region as well as deliver insights into the local community and the social impact projects underway.”

Leadership WA was founded under the auspice of Rio Tinto with the key objectives of building leadership capability throughout the WA community, forging strong connections between leaders from the private, government and non-government sectors, and establishing a community of courageous leaders, making a positive impact in and for our State. Objectives that remain enduring outcomes to this day.