Valuable Relationships Help Rio Tinto Acquire Alcan

In a deal valued at more than $38 billion, mining company Rio Tinto PLC has achieved the necessary loans to acquire Alcan Inc (see article from Yahoo! Finance). An IntellectSpace Knowledge Map of the ties between the companies reveals the common connections that may facilitate the transition.

After reviewing the Knowledge Map, we identified a significant relationship between Vivienne Cox (Director of Rio Tinto) and Cynthia B. Carroll through BP PLC. Carroll was with Alcan for 18 years until 2007 and her responsibilities revolved around mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures. Cox is an Executive Vice President and Member of the Group Chief Executive’s Committee and Carroll is a Director at BP. Carroll’s experience with Alcan should prove extremely valuable in this deal.

Other noteworthy connections are shared between Oscar Groeneveld (Product Group CEO at Rio Tinto) and D. Travis Engen (former Alcan Director) through the International Aluminum Institute as well as Andrew Vickerman’s (Product Group CEO at Rio Tinto) ties to L Yves Fortier (Director of Alcan) through the UN.

Based on these relationships, we predict a smooth transition in Rio Tinto’s acquisition of Alcan.

Click here for an interactive version of this IntellectSpace Knowledge Map (Internet Explorer browsers only): http://nv.intellectspace.com/ispace/GuestMonitor.aspx?id=6b2fc0f2-c5cc-4864-be06-0eb3dd94ac85