Rio Tinto's chief financial officer Jakob Stausholm will take over as chief executive after several company leaders resigned following the destruction of sacred Aboriginal caves in Western Australia.
Rio Tinto on Thursday said Mr Stausholm, who joined the company in 2018, will start the role on January 1.
He will replace chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques, who along with corporate relations chief Simone Niven and iron ore boss Chris Salisbury resigned in September.
Rio blew up the 46,000-year-old rock shelters in Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region in May to extract $188 million worth of high-grade iron ore.
A federal inquiry into the destruction has urged Rio to hold off on any new applications to destroy sites until WA's heritage laws have been strengthened or stronger protocols are negotiated with traditional owners.
The Northern Australia Committee interim report also called upon Rio to negotiate a restitution package with the traditional owners, rebuild and remediate the site at its own expense, and commit to a permanent moratorium on mining there.
