Rio Tinto says chairman to step down in Dec 2009

LONDON,(Reuters) - Global miner Rio Tinto Plc, the subject of a takeover bid by BHP Billiton, said on Wednesday that Chairman Paul Skinner would step down when his term expires in December 2009. The company said that a process was underway to identify a successor for Skinner. The Financial Times newspaper had reported on Tuesday that Skinner was the preferred candidate to take over as chairman of oil giant BP when Peter Sutherland retires next year.