Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), one of the world's largest iron ore producers won the prestigious Metals Company of the Year award at the fifth annual Platts Global Metals Awards, which recognize exemplary performance in 15 categories across the steel, metals and mining complex.
FMG was one of 15 honorees from four continents heralded at the black-tie gala in central London. The event, hosted by S&P Global Platts, the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets, was once again emceed by CNBC's Karen Tso and attended by more than 250 industry executives.
"Under the leadership of CEO Nev Power, Fortescue Metals Group has rapidly risen to become the fourth largest iron ore producer in the world in little over a decade. We congratulate Fortescue Metals Group on this impressive win," said Martin Fraenkel, President of S&P Global Platts. "Each of this year's winners and finalists deserves praise for their contributions to a more efficient, innovative and globalized industry that continues to rise to new challenges."
Fortescue Metals Group won the 2017 Metals Company of the Year title as well as the Industry Leadership Award – Raw Materials & Mining. In reaching its decision, the Platts Global Metals Awards' independent judging panel lauded the company's "strong and clever" leadership. FMG, which won the Rising Star Company Award in 2014, was praised by the judges for "achieving ambitious goals and hitting targets" making the firm one of the industry's strongest and most resilient.
The coveted CEO of the Year award went to Sanjeev Gupta, Chief Executive Officer of Liberty House Group, the U.K.-based steel producer. Judges were impressed by Gupta's track record of successful acquisitions and hailed him as a "motivator" willing to "swim against the tide of pessimism" prevalent in the industry.
Gina Rinehart, Hancock Prospecting Group's Executive Chairman, secured this year's Lifetime Achievement Award, with judges lauding her as "a leader of substance" with a "pioneering drive". Her "bold and ambitious" move to secure $7.2bn in funding to develop the Roy Hill project, this year's Rising Star Company Award winner, was also applauded by the judges.