Oscar Groeneveld, a mining engineer, joined Rio Tinto Group in 1975 and his subsequent career has involved extended periods in coal project development and mining, aluminium smelting, and in copper, gold and base metals production. He is the second longest serving of Rio Tinto's six group heads and oversees a business that has been engaged in a very active investment program over the last five years, with capital projects totaling some US$1 billion having been put in hand.