Name: Mining Indaba
Start: 2026-02-09T10:30:00+02:00
End: 2026-02-12T15:30:00+02:00
Location: CTICC

Chris Aitchison

MD SimFer

Chris Aitchison is the Managing Director of SimFer and has led the Simandou project since 2022. An Australian national, Chris brings over two decades of mining industry experience, including seven years at Rio Tinto, where he worked as Project Director at Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia. He is responsible for ensuring safety, sustainability, and profitability in the Simandou project, driving economic growth, and promoting environmental stewardship. Chris Aitchison holds a degree from the Western Australia School of Mines.

2026 Agenda Sessions

What lessons can we learn from Guinea’s use of partnerships in realising its iron ore potential?

Guinea holds some of the largest untapped high-grade iron ore reserves in the world, particularly in the Simandou range, a deposit that has long been seen as a game-changer for the global steel industry and for West Africa’s economic future. But unlocking this potential has proven complex, with decades of delays, geopolitical entanglements, infrastructure challenges, and shifting global demand. This session will examine lessons learnt, the power of partnerships, and what lessons can be extrapolated?

Tuesday 10 February 15:45 - 16:30 Ngorongoro Crater Stage (CTICC1 - Level 2)