Mr Lawrence Dechambenoit
Global Head of External Affairs, Rio Tinto
Lawrence is the Head of External Affairs at Rio Tinto. He is responsible for shaping Rio Tinto’s public policy advocacy and partnerships with host countries and EA strategy for the company globally.
He previously led Rio Tinto’s external affairs, media, communications and community relations efforts across Europe, Africa and the Middle East as Vice-President of Corporate Relations, EMEA.
Prior to joining Rio Tinto, Lawrence was a Senior Director at the Albright Stonebridge Group advising global companies on their market entry and growth strategies in emerging markets. Lawrence started his professional career at the United Nations, working at the United Nations headquarters in New York but also at UN offices across Africa. At the UN he was in charge of peace-making efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Lawrence holds a BA in Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London and an MA in international Political Economy from the University of Warwick, UK. He is also a recipient of the French Medal for National Defence with exceptional honours.