Alan Fine

Alan Fine is currently a senior principal at Russell & Associates, which he joined in September 2013. He provides policy and communications advice, and assists with policy implementation for a number of South Africa’s major mining companies and the Chamber of Mines.

Alan is an adviser to the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights, providing guidance to GBI on business-to-business learning and leadership activities on business and human rights in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent, based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). Alan has also been advising various mining companies on implementing the recommendations of the Farlam Commission of Inquiry into the Marikana shootings through a UNGPs lens, as well as on remedial work in Marikana itself.

Previously Public Affairs Manager at AngloGold Ashanti, he initiated human rights work at the company.  His tasks included development and implementation of a human rights framework and piloting of human rights due diligence at African and South American operations.

He participated in consultative work of John Ruggie during his UN Mandate as Special Representative to the Secretary General on Business and Human Rights.  Alan co-chaired the human rights working group in the development of the ISO 26000 Guidance Standard on Social Responsibility, and co-authored its human rights section.

Prior to joining AGA in 2002, he was a journalist for 18 years, most of that time at Business Day newspaper, where he wrote about labour, politics and public policy, managed the comment and opinion pages for several years, reaching the position of deputy editor.

He studied economics at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.