A local of Perth, Western Australia, Herb, at the age of 22, won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome for the 1500m track event, setting a new world record in the process. Herb was also a dual gold medalist from the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff two years earlier for the 880 yards and mile track events.

Previous executive roles include President of PUMA North America. Mr Elliott is the former inaugural Chairman of National Australia Day Committee and was a Commissioner to the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

Executive Director - Andrew Forrest

Mr Forrest started Fortescue in April 2003 and was the driving force behind the creation of the Pilbara Iron Ore and Infrastructure Project. He was the inaugural Chairman of Fortescue but handed over the role to a Non-Executive Director in May 2005. Mr Forrest is Chief Executive Officer and an Executive Director of the Company and is also on the Remuneration Committee.

Mr Forrest is also currently Non-Executive Chairman of Poseidon Nickel Limited and is also Chairman of the West Australian charity, The Australian Children's Trust.

Previous roles include Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chairman of Anaconda Nickel Ltd (now Minara Resources Ltd) and Chairman of the Murrin Murrin Joint Venture, Director of the West Australian Chamber of Minerals and Energy, Chairman of Athletics Australia, Chairman of Moly Mines Ltd and Chairman of Siberia Mining Corporation Ltd.

Mr Forrest has extensive experience in the mining sector with specialist expertise in large scale project finance and implementation. Mr Forrest is also a long-standing Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

Non-Executive Director - Graeme Rowley

Mr Rowley joined Fortescue at Andrew Forrest's invitation in May 2003. In October 2003, he was appointed Executive Director Operations and in January 2009, he became responsible for Fortescue's public policy and corporate affairs. Mr Rowley retired from his executive role with Fortescue in March 2010 and remains a Non-Executive Director on the Fortescue Board.

Previously he was an executive with Rio Tinto Plc holding senior positions in Hamersley Iron and Argyle Diamonds. Mr Rowley's previous directorships have included Dampier Port Authority, the Pilbara Development Commission, the Council for the West Pilbara College of Tafe and the Western Australian State Government's Technical Advisory Council.

Mr Rowley has extensive experience in operational management of both iron ore ship loading facilities and heavy haul railway within the unique Pilbara environment.

Executive Director - Russell Scrimshaw

Mr Scrimshaw has been an Executive Director since 1 July 2005 after serving as a Non-Executive Director.

Mr Scrimshaw was a board member of Commonwealth Properties Ltd, EDS Australia, Mobilesoft Ltd, Telecom New Zealand Australia Pty Ltd, The Garvan Institute Foundation and Athletics Australia. He previously held executive positions within the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Optus, Alcatel, IBM and Amdahl USA. 

Mr Scrimshaw is an Associate Member of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants.

Mr Ambrecht is the Principal of KCA Associates LLC, an investment banking and advisory firm. He is a Non-Executive Director of American Financial Capital Inc and Spectrum Brands Inc. Mr Ambrecht was previously a Managing Director of First Albany Capital and the Royal Bank of Canada following a 25 year career at Lehman Brothers in New as Managing Director in the capital markets division.

Non-Executive Director - Geoff Brayshaw

Mr Brayshaw joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director on 1 July 2007. He was previously an Audit Partner with BDO Accountants and retired in June 2005. Mr Brayshaw has held a number of positions in commerce and professional bodies including National President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2002, Independent Director and Audit Committee Chairman of Fortron Insurance Group, Board member of the Small Business Development Corporation and was formerly the Chairman of a Trustee Company related to an Aboriginal Corporation. He is also a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Poseidon Nickel Limited. 

Mr Brayshaw is Chairman of Fortescue's Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Non-Executive Director - Owen L Hegarty

Mr Hegarty BEc(Hons), FAusIMM was appointed a Non-Executive Director in October 2008. He has nearly 40 years experience in the mining industry in Australia and internationally. Mr Hegarty had 25 years with the Rio Tinto Group where he was Managing Director of Rio Tinto Asia and Managing Director of the Group's Australian copper and gold business. He was the founding managing director from 1995 through to the merger in 2008 of the Oxiana Ltd Group, which grew from a small exploration company to a multi-billion dollar Australian and Asia focused base and precious metal explorer, developer and producer. Oxiana Ltd Group became Oz Minerals Ltd. Mr Hegarty is also a Non-Executive Director of Range River Gold Limited and Executive Chairman of Hong Kong listed G-Resources Ltd. He is a fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and was awarded the 2005 AusIMM Institute Medal for his leadership and achievements in the mining industry. He was elected a Director of the AusIMM in October 2008 and took up the position in January 2009.

Non-Executive Director - Ian Fred Burston

Dr Burston, AM, FAICD, FAusIMM, FIEAus was appointed a Non-Executive Director in October 2008. Dr Burston has more than 30 years of top-level experience in Western Australian and international mining. Most recently he was Executive Chairman of Cape Lambert Iron Ore Ltd between May 2007 and August 2008 and previously served as Non Executive Chairman of Cape Lambert from July 2006 to May 2007. Dr Burston has been Non Executive Chairman of Imdex Ltd since November 2000 and Chairman and Director of NRW Holdings Ltd since July 2007. He has been a Non Executive Director of Mincor Resources since January 2003 and served as Executive Chairman and chief executive officer at Aztec Resources Ltd between June 2003 and February 2006 where he currently serves as Director. He is also a Director of Kanzai Mining Corp. Formerly, Dr Burston held positions as managing director of Hamersley Iron Pty Limited between 1982 and 1986, managing director and chief executive officer of Aurora Gold Ltd and managing director of Portman Limited where he developed the company's iron ore division. Dr Burston was chief executive officer of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Mines Pty Ltd between 1989 and 1993 where he was responsible for closing down the underground mines and consolidating them into an open pit mining operation - the Super Pit. Early in his career, held engineering positions with the Commonwealth of Australia and within the South Australian state government before moving to CRA Group (now part of Rio Tinto) where he worked for 22 years in various senior executive positions.

Dr Burston was awarded the Order of Australia (General Division) in 1993 and was elected Western Australian Citizen of the Year in 1992. 

Non-Executive Director - Li Xiaowei

Li Xiaowei joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director on 12 June 2009 following Fortescue's Subscription Agreement with Hunan Valin Iron and Steel Group Co Ltd of 25 February 2009. Chairman of Hunan Valin since 1999, Mr Li is also vice president of China Iron & Steel Association. A graduate of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, specializing in Business Enterprise Management, Mr Li also holds an M.A. from the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He has previously served as vice chairman of Lianyuan Iron and Steel Co Ltd, deputy general manager of Hunan Provincial Metallurgy Enterprises Group and general manager of Valin Iron & Steel Group.

Mr Li is also an author having published four books over his career including The Group Management after Local Iron & Steel Enterprises Restructure.

Non-Executive Director - Ian M Cumming

Mr Cumming joined the Fortescue Board as a Non-Executive Director in August 2009. He is also a member of the Remuneration Committee.

Since June 1978, Mr Cumming has served as a director and Chairman of the Board of Leucadia National Corporation, a New York-based diversified company with extensive interests. Mr Cumming also serves as Chairman of the Board of The FINOVA Group Inc and is also a director of SkyWest Inc, HomeFed Corporation, AmeriCredit Corp and Jefferies Group Inc. Mr Cumming is committed to community service as evidenced by his leadership roles in local and national organisations. His involvement has included membership on the National Board of Governors of The Nature Conservancy, Utah State Board of Regents, Board of Directors of Ballet West, Board of Dean's Advisors for the Harvard Business School and the United Nations Global Summit for Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.

Mr Cumming received his BA degree in Zoology from the University of Kansas in 1962 and his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1970.

Non-Executive Director - Mark Barnaba

Mr Barnaba joined the Fortescue Board as a Non-Executive Director in March 2010.

Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Azure Capital, Mr Barnaba has a background in industry, corporate advisory and management consulting. He worked with McKinsey & Company in Australia, the United Kingdom and the RSA.

Mr Barnaba is a Chairman of the University of Western Australia Business School where he also serves as an Adjunct Professor in Investment Banking and Finance. He is the Chairman of the West Coast Eagles Football Club and Edge Employment Solutions (a disability employment organisation), Deputy Chairman of Western Power and a Director of the Australia Indonesia Institute. Mr Barnaba has previously held positions on the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee.

Mr Barnaba received his Bachelor of Commerce with first class honours from the University of Western Australia in 1985. He was awarded the JA Wood University Medal for top graduate, university wide. He then went onto Harvard Business School and received an MBA in 1988, graduating with a high distinction as a Baker Scholar.