Good to see people who really know their stuff getting the promotions they deserve.

Therese Barker, Commercial Manager, Alcoa Materials Management China, has been promoted to the company’s Singapore office, where she will be responsible for Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminium for China and South East Asia. Therese is presently based in Beijing.

She replaces Nenad Pavic, who returns to Australia as General Manager for the group.

Both appointments take effect at the start of the new year.

It’s a strange but interesting detail about the global primary aluminium industry. Look around at the senior people, the people who know the aluminium industry inside out, and you will find a high percentage of them are Australian. The two Alcoans mentioned above are both Australian. The head of alumina trading Asia for Glencore is Australian. The chief procurement officer at Ma’aden is Australian (of South African descent, but we will claim him.) The former CEO at Alba smelter was Australian. One of Alcoa’s Vice Presidents is Australian.

Perhaps the leading Australian in the aluminium world was John Pizzey. He has retired now, but back when I was a kid at Point Henry smelter, John was a sales rep for Alcoa. When he retired in 2004, he was an executive vice president of Alcoa and president of its global primary products group.

Wishing both Therese and Nenad (who had Therese’s job in Beijing before her - should we read something in that?) every success in their new roles.