* Vella has been with Rio for 20 years

* Replaces former IGO CEO Bradford who died suddenly in Oct

* Will head one of Australia's most developed battery minerals makers

MELBOURNE, June 13 (Reuters) - Australian battery minerals producer IGO Ltd said on Tuesday it has appointed Ivan Vella, who has spent two decades at mining giant Rio Tinto, as its new CEO. Vella, now heading Rio Tinto's aluminium division, will take the helm no later than Dec. 11, after he serves his notice period and relocates to Perth with his family from Montreal, where Rio runs its green aluminium business. Rio had brought in Vella to steer the miner's iron ore business in the aftermath of its destruction of rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in 2020. The episode triggered wide-ranging changes in Australian industry practices on protection of cultural sites.

His appointment at IGO comes after its former CEO and Managing Director Peter Bradford suddenly died in October, and positions him at the helm of one of Australia's most developed battery minerals and chemicals producers.

IGO holds a minority stake with Tianqi Lithium Corp in a high-purity lithium hydroxide plant south of Perth and is working with Wyloo Metals, the private investment arm of iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest, to expand its footprint downstream into battery chemicals via its nickel business.

Vella, who will also be managing director, will replace IGO's acting chief executive Matt Dusci, previously chief operating officer.

Rio confirmed Vella's departure in a statement and said a process to identify his successor is underway. He has stepped down from Rio's executive committee but will continue to lead the division in the meantime. (Reporting by Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru and Melanie Burton in Melbourne; Editing by Pooja Desai and Muralikumar Anantharaman)