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Zoë Yujnovich
President and CEO, Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC)
Prior to her December 2009 appointment to the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) – Canada’s largest iron ore producer, Zoë Yujnovich was President of Rio Tinto Brazil. In addition to her responsibility for the safe operations of the Corumbá mine, TBN logistics and San Nicholas port, she led the timely divestment of RTB and achieved optimal value during the global market downturn. This complex undertaking included overseeing government approvals and documentation that involved 15 companies across six countries, while managing the impact on employees and other stakeholders. |
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From May 2007 to October 2008, Zoë was selected to provide advisory support to the Chief Executive of Rio Tinto at the company’s headquarters in London, UK. She was tasked with managing the Rio Tinto Executive Committee process and supporting the BHP defence team, and providing strategic support across the organisation. This role gave her exposure to a broad range of governance, corporate, operational and business issues.
Zoë has served Rio Tinto for 16 years. She holds an Executive MBA from the University of Utah (2004), and a BEng (Hons) Materials Engineering, from the University of Western Australia (1996). She has three children and has competed in rowing and swimming. She has two nationalities, Australian and British. She has lived in eight countries.
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Expat Women's Interview with Zoë
Expat Women: Zoë, your career success is indeed impressive – as is your dedication to Rio Tinto. Contrary to popular belief that employees need to move companies to climb the career ladder, do you think that staying with the one company has helped your career?
Zoë: I definitely think this has helped. I have been able to build from a deeper understanding of the mining industry and Rio Tinto as a company, to progress through a large variety of roles. The stability with the same company has offered me an enormous diversity of roles (from engineering, to business to support roles). |
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What challenge do you remember most in your career?
There have been so many that it is hard to pick just one! Perhaps I can give the example of arriving into a new role as the President of Rio Tinto Brazil, when I was seven months pregnant. I accepted the role to lead a large expansion, and with the 2008 financial crisis, ended up leading a divestment. |
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What is your secret for overcoming any challenges you encounter?
Having a strong sense of optimism that things will work out, and a supportive family and team, helps make any challenges less overwhelming. |
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Which are the eight countries you have lived in, and which ones were your favorites? |
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I lived in Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia as a child and have now worked in Australia, USA, UK, Brazil and Canada. It would not be fair to say one was better than the other – each of them have a special place in my heart for different reasons. I have genuinely enjoyed everywhere I lived and am grateful for being accepted into each new place with open arms from the locals. |
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What five tips would you offer to women who were thinking of going abroad to advance their career? |
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Do it! Exposing yourself to new cultures and experiences is very rewarding. |
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Act local, revel in the new experiences rather than trying to impose old ways into your new environment. |
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Get support. Living away from friends and family can be tough, so think ahead to set yourself up for success (for example, with the help of a housekeeper or babysitter). |
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Listen, learn and enjoy the wonderful experiences your new location offers. Listen to locals and learn about the local history and heritage. |
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Reflect on how you are adapting to the change and use the opportunity for personal growth and development. |
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Finally, how do you juggle such a high-profile position with also being a mother to three children? |
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A wonderful supportive husband is a great start! But also, I try to be disciplined with a routine that allows me to be a part of the family’s day-to-day life – like dinner time and bath time. I have learned how to leave my work (and Blackberry) at the door and dedicate my full focus to my family when I am with them. |
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Zoë, thank you very much for taking the time to share your insights and experiences with us. We genuinely applaud your career achievements to date and wish you only the best for the future. |
