Cynthia Carroll
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Cynthia Blum Carroll (born November 13, 1956) is an American businesswoman. She was the chief executive officer of
Anglo American PLC Anglo American plc is a British listed multinational mining company with headquarters in London, England. It is the world's largest producer of platinum, with around 40% of world output, as well as being a major producer of diamonds, copper ...
, a South African mining company, which, among other things, is the world's largest platinum producer. On October 24, 2006, Carroll was hired by Anglo American, and joined the board in January 2007, becoming chief executive at the beginning of March 2007. She chaired Anglo American’s Executive Committee and sat on the Safety and Sustainable Development Committee."Anglo American Leadership Team"
, "Anglo American plc", July 24, 2009.
She was one of only three female chief executives of
FTSE 100 The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index, also called the FTSE 100 Index, FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the "Footsie" , is a share index of the 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with (in principle) the highest market ...
companies and the first non-South African to hold the post with Anglo American. In 2008 she was ranked by the magazine ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' as the fifth most powerful woman in the world. She was ranked fourth in 2009 and seventh in 2007 by the same list. Her annual salary at Anglo American was £1,050,000 with an annual bonus of £319,000. Anglo American announced on October 26, 2012, that Carroll would step down as chief executive. She has been a non-executive director of BP since June 6, 2007. Carroll previously worked for
Alcan Alcan was a Canadian mining company and aluminum manufacturer. It was founded in 1902 as the Northern Aluminum Company, renamed Aluminum Company of Canada in 1925, and Alcan Aluminum in 1966. It took the name Alcan Incorporated in 2001. During t ...
, as president and chief executive officer of the Primary Metal Group since 2002. She joined Alcan in 1989. In January 1996 she was promoted to managing director of the Aughinish Alumina division, located on Aughinish Island, Askeaton,
County Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces of Ireland, Province , subd ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
."Leading the Way"
''Newsweek'', December 18, 2006.
Before joining Alcan, she worked for
Amoco Amoco () is a brand of filling station, fuel stations operating in the United States, and owned by BP since 1998. The Amoco Corporation was an American chemical and petroleum, oil company, founded by Standard Oil Company in 1889 around a oil re ...
, which is now part of British Petroleum, for eight years as a petroleum geologist, from 1982 to 1987, working in gas and oil exploration in
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,
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
,
Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...
,
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, and
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
. She is married with four children.


Early years and career

Carroll graduated from
Skidmore College Skidmore College is a Private school, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Saratoga Springs, New York. Approximately 2,650 students are enrolled at Skidmore pursuing a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Scien ...
in 1978, a Bachelor of Science in Geology. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Geology from the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...
(1982) and a Masters of Business Administration from
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
(1989). In 2012 she was elected a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. She formerly served as a director of Sara Lee and AngloGold Ashanti Limited. She also sits on the Boards of American Aluminium Association and the International Aluminium Institute. Cynthia Carroll has launched a number of new initiatives within the business, including an asset optimisation project; the introduction of the value based management methodology within Anglo American; and a push to improve safety performance. In 2007, she closed two platinum shafts in South Africa following a number of fatalities until the workforce received more safety trainingWarner, Melain
"Anglo American's Bristol Bay Controversy: Wildlife vs. Mineral Riches"
"Fast Company", October 13, 2008.
She participated in the Tripartite Safety Summit in 2008 with union, government and industry representatives to address safety concerns in the mining industry Since Cynthia Carroll took over as chief executive, Anglo American has acquired stakes in two copper projects Michiquillay in Peru and Pebble in the US; a coal company Foxleigh in Australia; and the iron ore project in Brazil, Minas-Rio.


Criticism and controversy

Carroll was personally attacked while at Anglo American for her responsibility in the conglomerate's labour rights recordAnglo American: The Alternative Report
as well as her role in several environmentally controversial projects piloted by the company. Carroll was nicknamed by ''
Grist Magazine ''Grist'' (originally ''Grist Magazine''; also referred to as Grist.org) is an American non-profit online magazine founded in 1999 that publishes environmental news and commentary. ''Grists tagline is "Climate. Justice. Solutions." ''Grist'' ...
'' as "Cyanide Cynthia, world's biggest Scrooge" for her role in the Pebble Mine project in
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
. Carroll’s strategy for Anglo American has attracted criticism. Some shareholders see her modernization plans as too radical for a company that has historically had such an important role in the South African economy, while others complain that the company has been undermanaged, and that she has not yet delivered on her proposals. And Anglo American’s recent decision to suspend its dividend has drawn criticism. Carroll has implemented measures to address safety concerns. Anglo American responded to the allegations in the War on Want report and separately disclosed its safety performance in its annual earnings report. The ''Grist'' magazine nickname was later discussed in a ''
Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is a monthly American business magazine published in print and online that focuses on technology, business, and design. It publishes six print issues per year. History ''Fast Company'' was launched in November 1995 by Alan Web ...
'' magazine article that profiled Carroll’s initiatives surrounding the Pebble Mine project. In 2007, Carroll issued a series of social, environmental and economic commitments on behalf of the Pebble Partnership to address concerns from the local community.Magee, Sea
"Cynthia Carroll pledges Pebble will go beyond compliance"
, "The Pebble Partnership", October 23, 2007.


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carroll, Cynthia Blum 1956 births American women chief executives Skidmore College alumni University of Kansas alumni Harvard Business School alumni Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Female Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Living people Directors of BP American corporate directors British chief executives American mining businesspeople British mining businesspeople 21st-century women engineers 21st-century American women