What To Expect

Ben Magara

CEO

Exxaro Resources

Ben is a seasoned mining industry leader with over 35 years of extensive operational management and business executive leadership experience in leading global mining companies including at Anglo American. He is the former Chief Executive of Lonmin Plc. During his tenure at Lonmin, he restructured and returned the company to profitability and subsequently consolidated its assets with Sibanye-Stillwater, creating the world’s largest PGMs producer. Ben was appointed CEO of Exxaro Resources Limited in April 2025. As a visionary, focused and strategic leader who exhibits participatory leadership, Ben is a perfect fit to lead Exxaro as it diversifies to include coal, minerals of the future and energy solutions and powering possibilities in Africa and beyond.
 

Bold Baatar

CCO

Rio Tinto

Bold became Chief Commercial Officer in September 2024.

Since joining Rio Tinto in 2013, Bold has held leadership positions across operations, Marine, Iron Ore Sales & Marketing, and Copper. He joined the Executive Committee in 2016 as Chief Executive, Energy & Minerals, becoming Chief Executive, Copper in February 2021. Bold leads the Group’s sales and marketing, procurement, marine, and logistics activities. He is also responsible for business development for the Group and Rio Tinto’s relationships with its joint venture partners in the Simandou project in Guinea. Bold brings deep experience across geographies, commodities and markets. A passionate advocate for integrating ESG into decision making, he combines strong commercial and business development expertise with a focus on developing markets and partnerships with our host communities and countries.

Clive Johnson

CEO

B2Gold Corp

Clive Johnson has served as a Founding Director and the President of B2Gold since December 2006 and Chief Executive Officer since March 2007. Mr. Johnson oversees our long-term strategy and development and leads the executive team of B2Gold. Previously, Mr. Johnson was involved with Bema Gold and its predecessor companies since 1977. Mr. Johnson was appointed the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bema after it was created by the amalgamation of three Bema group companies in 1988. He was a driving force in Bema’s transition from a junior exploration company to an international intermediate gold producer. Mr. Johnson received the 2004 Viola MacMillan Developer’s Award from the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and in 2013 he received the Pacific Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Mining and Metals, and The Northern Miner Person of the Year Award in 2025.

Craig Miller

CEO

Valterra Platinum

Craig Miller took the reins as CEO of Valterra Platinum (formerly Anglo American Platinum) on 1 October 2023. With more than 25 years of mining industry experience spanning Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), base metals and bulk commodities, Craig is a seasoned senior executive who has worked in South Africa, Brazil and the UK. As CEO, he has prioritised safe, stable and capable operations while fostering a diverse, inclusive and high-performance corporate culture all aimed at delivering sustainable safe ounces and industry-leading returns through the cycle. More latterly, he has led the company through a successful demerger and separation from the Anglo American Group, to become a thriving standalone PGM producer. Craig began his career as a trainee accountant at Deloitte in Johannesburg, before Joining Anglo American as finance manager in 2000. He held various positions across Anglo American, including group financial controller, chief financial officer of the Brazilian iron ore business and South African coal business. He also served as head of the group CEO’s office. He joined the executive committee and board of Valterra Platinum as finance director in March 2019, Craig led strategy development and execution, driving successful cost and value optimisation initiatives across the business. Craig is a chartered accountant (CA) and holds a Bachelor of Accounting Science (Honours) degree from the University of South Africa. He has completed the General Management Programme at Harvard University and an Advanced Management Programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs).

Duncan Wanblad

CEO

Anglo American

Duncan brings to the Board more than 30 years of global mining experience and a deep understanding of Anglo American, its culture and context. Duncan leads the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), having served as a member since 2009, and is chair of De Beers. From 2016 to 2022, Duncan was Group Director – Strategy and Business Development, also serving as CEO of our Base Metals business from 2013 to 2019. Until 2022, he chaired the Anglo American Foundation. Between 2009 and 2013, Duncan held the position of Group Director – Other Mining and Industrial, responsible for a global portfolio of mining and industrial businesses for disposal or turnaround to maximise shareholder value. He was appointed CEO of our Copper operations in 2008, prior to which he served as joint interim CEO of Anglo American Platinum in 2007 (having served on the board since 2004). From 2004 to 2007, Duncan was Executive Director of Projects and Engineering at Anglo American Platinum. Duncan began his career at Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Company Limited in 1990. 

Hon. Diamantino Pedro Azevedo

Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum & Gas

Republic of Angola

His Excellency Diamantino Pedro Azevedo is a senior statesman and mining engineer with extensive international experience across the mining, petroleum and gas value chains. Since 2017, he has served as Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas (MIREMPET), where he leads the formulation and implementation of Angola’s public policies for mining, petroleum, gas and biofuels, with a strong focus on sector governance, value addition, institutional reform and sustainable resource development. He holds a PhD major in Mining Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin, as well as a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering from the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Germany). His executive training includes the Advanced Management Program (Kellogg School of Management, Chicago), professional certification in mineral resources and reserves evaluation, and specialized training in quality management systems auditing. Prior to his ministerial appointment, he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of FERRANGOL, E.P., Angola’s state mining holding company, and as Director-General of the Southern and Eastern Africa Mineral Resources Centre, a regional intergovernmental institution based in Tanzania. He has also chaired the boards of major public–private partnership mining projects, including the Kassinga and Kassala Kitungo mining-metallurgical project and the M’popo Gold Project. In addition to his executive and governmental roles, His Excellency has an academic background as a lecturer in Mining Economics and Economic Evaluation of Petroleum Projects at Agostinho Neto University, and has served as Vice-President of the Mining Development Fund. He has also held senior advisory and international cooperation positions within Angola’s mineral sector. Languages: Portuguese, English and German.

Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah

 Minister of Lands & Natural Resources

Republic of Ghana

Hon. Gwede Mantashe

Minister of Mineral & Petroleum Resources, Republic of South Africa

Department of Mineral & Petroleum Resources

Honourable Samson Gwede Mantashe is a politician who is currently serving his second term as the National Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC), having previously served as its Secretary General for two terms from December 2007 to December 2017. He is the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources in the 7th administration of the Republic of South Africa, having served as the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy during the 6th administration. Minister Mantashe received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 1997, where he also completed a Bachelor of Commerce Honours in 2002. He holds a Masters’ degree from the University of Witwatersrand (WITS), acquired in 2008. He successfully completed the Master of Business Administration through MANCOSA in 2021. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Leadership degree with the University of South Africa (UNISA). He was previously employed by the Western Deep Levels mine, Prieska Copper Mines, Matla Colliery, and served as a Councillor in the Ekurhuleni Municipality, and later appointed to the Board of Directors of a Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed company, Samancor. Subsequently, he was appointed as the Executive Director at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) where, for a period of two years, he served as the Chairperson of the Technical Working Group of the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA). Prior to his election to the highest decision-making body of the ANC, he previously served as a trade unionist occupying several positions in the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) the highest being its General Secretary. He has also served as the Chairperson of the South African Communist Party (SACP), where he continues to serve as a member of its Central Committee.

J. Paul Rollinson

CEO

Kinross Gold Corporation

Paul Rollinson was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Kinross Gold on August 1, 2012. He first joined the company as Executive Vice-President, New Investments, in September 2008. Under Paul’s leadership of Kinross, the Company has strengthened its balance sheet, advanced its portfolio of mines and projects, and achieved one of the best safety records in the industry. Paul started his career working as an exploration geologist. Paul joined Kinross after a career in investment banking, where he worked primarily in mining, industrials, forestry, power and utility sectors. Paul has an Honours BSc in Geology from Laurentian University and a MEng in Mining from McGill University.

Marie-Chantal Kaninda

President, Chair of The Board of Directors

Glencore DRC, KCC

Marie-Chantal Kaninda joined Glencore DRC six years ago as Executive Director and Head of Corporate Affairs. Since July 2022, she has chaired the Board of Directors of Kamoto Copper Company (KCC), and since January 2023, she has held the position of President of Glencore DRC. She has more than 25 years of experience in the mining industry, acquired in large international groups such as Ashanti Goldfields, AngloGold Ashanti, De Beers Group — where she managed administration, communication, external affairs in Central Africa as well as community relations in Africa — and Rio Tinto, as Director of External Relations for Africa. Marie-Chantal Kaninda holds a degree in Economics from the University of Liège (Belgium). She also made history by becoming, for two years, the first African woman to chair the World Diamond Council. Married with two daughters, she has a long-standing commitment to girls' and women's access to education and training, as well as their inclusion in the mining sector. She is a mentor to several young women entrepreneurs in the DRC and founder of the MCKM Foundation, a non-profit organization that works for girls' education. She sat on the Board of Directors at Standard Bank DRC. Marie-Chantal has been recognized as one of the most influential women by Forbes Africa, a distinction received three years in a row, the last one dating back to March 2023.

Marna Cloete

President & CEO

Ivanhoe Mines

Mfikeyi Makayi

CEO Africa

Kobold Metals Africa

Mfikeyi is a seasoned mining professional with 17 years experience in industry. She worked as a civil & mining engineer at First Quantum’s Kansanshi Copper-Gold mine, as well as global internal audit division covering Australia, Finland, Mauritania and Panama’s operations. She was also the Country Manager and Director of one of Zambia’s largest mining and construction equipment supply and services companies, running the Caterpillar dealership in Zambia, Barloworld Equipment Zambia Ltd. Her portfolio covered all large surface and underground copper mines on the Zambian Copperbelt as well as Gemfields’ Kagem mine, the world’s largest emerald mine. Mfikeyi is a holder of 4 degrees. She has a BSc in Civil Engineering and an M. Eng in Environmental Engineering both from Old Dominion University, United States, an M.Sc. in Mining Engineering from Camborne School of Mines at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, and an Executive MBA from the highly ranked African business school, Lagos Business School at Pan-Atlantic University, in Nigeria.
 

Mzila Mthenjane

CEO

Minerals Council South Africa

Mr. Mzila Mthenjane (“Mzila”) is the CEO of the Minerals Council South Africa, the lobby and advocacy group whose members represent 90% of South Africa’s mineral output and employment. He was previously the Executive Head for Stakeholder Affairs at Exxaro Resources Limited. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the resources business, which has been attained in the mining and financial services sectors. He has held various board positions as non-executive director in various entities including Pamodzi Gold Limited, Fraser Alexander, and Merafe Resources. Most recently, he was on the Exxaro Board, intimately involved in stakeholder engagements and strategy. He is the current Chairman of the Board of the Impact Catalyst and is the former Chairman of the Wits University Mining Engineers Association and the former President of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr. Mthenjane holds a BSc degree in mining engineering from the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and he has completed various leadership development training including the Senior Management Development Programme from the Graduate Institute of Management and Technology (GIMT). In addition, he has completed the ABSIP leadership programme with GIBS and Advanced Management Programme, with INSEAD. His leadership acumen has greatly benefited his current role, drawing on his experiences in building and retaining harmonious yet robust relationships with Exxaro’s diverse stakeholder groupings. These stakeholders included employees, customers, investors, legislators, communities, traditional leaders, the media, unions, and civic organisations. In parallel, he advised the Exxaro leadership on the dynamics and changes within the external environment and their possible impact on the business. He is credited with successfully leading the development of Exxaro’s sustainable impact approach, as well as establishing Exxaro’s ESG narrative for stakeholder engagement. Through his leadership, Exxaro has remained among the top performers for integrated reporting, as acknowledged by local and offshore ratings agencies.

Placide Nkala Basadilua

CEO

Gecamines SA

Placide NKALA BASADILUA is a seasoned executive with a strong background in finance, tax optimization, and offshore investment strategies. He began his career after completing management studies in Paris, France, and soon developed a specialization in financial operations and international investment structuring. Answering a national call to service, he transitioned from entrepreneurship to public administration, serving for five years as Advisor to the Prime Minister on Business Climate and Investment. In this role, he contributed significantly to improving the investment environment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Building on this experience, Mr. NKALA BASADILUA entered the mining industry, where he served as Deputy CEO of Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) for six years. His leadership and strategic insight played a key role in the company’s operations and growth. On February 23, 2023, he was appointed by presidential decree as the Chief Executive Officer of the Générale des Carrières et des Mines (GÉCAMINES SA), the country’s largest stateowned mining enterprise. He continues to lead the company with a vision focused on modernization, sustainability, and national development.

Rohitesh Dhawan

President & CEO

International Council on Mining & Metals

Rohitesh “Ro” Dhawan is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). He leads the Council of 26 CEOs of the world’s largest mining & metals companies in voluntary leadership actions that raise the standards of responsible mining. Under his leadership, ICMM has undertaken landmark commitments and action on critical sustainable development issues, including the first industry-wide commitment to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions, the first collective commitment of any sector on nature positive, pioneering actions on diversity, equity and inclusion, and significant steps towards transparency of the industry’s contribution and performance, including on tax and contract disclosure. Ro is a Fellow and faculty member of the Africa Leadership Initiative and a Raisina fellow at the Asian Forum on Global Governance. He serves on the Advisory Boards of the Columbia Centre for Sustainable Investment, Concordia, and Resolve. He has served on the UK Government’s Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (PACT) Programme and was named one of South Africa’s climate change leaders for his work with the country’s mining sector. Ro hold a Master’s in Environmental Change & Management from the University of Oxford in the UK and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Rhodes University in South Africa.