Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson ran a full book of meetings with his Australian shareholders on Monday and Tuesday. That his resignation came on Wednesday morning tells you how well they went.

Thompson will leave the miner before its London annual meeting in April next year. Michael L’Estrange – shameful eponym for the board’s attempted Juukan Gorge whitewash – will leave in May this year. Thompson contended that “Rio Tinto will greatly miss his insights and wise counsel”, which it most certainly won’t.