Driving sustainable investment in African Mining

Jennifer Cronje

VP Safety Gold Fields

Jennifer Cronje holds a qualification in Physical Metallurgy and a Master of Business Administration. With over 22 years of leadership experience in the steel and mining industries, Jennifer has developed deep expertise in both technical and Health, Safety, Environment, and Community (HSEC) domains. She is recognized for her ability to develop and implement management systems and drive organizational culture change, consistently delivering improvements across all dimensions of HSEC. Jennifer currently serves as Vice President, Safety, Health & Wellbeing at Gold Fields, a globally diversified gold producer. In this role, she leads the development and execution of the Group’s Safety, Health, and Wellbeing vision, policy, and strategy, including psychosocial aspects. Her responsibilities include setting targets, standards, and systems, as well as leading global trend analysis and engaging with industry thought leaders to drive step changes in safety and wellbeing management. Previously, Jennifer held several senior roles in the Mining and Metals industry. She has extensive experience in risk management, compliance, and operational leadership across multiple jurisdictions, and has played a key role in transforming safety culture and performance at both regional and global levels. Jennifer is an active mentor and member of the South African Institute for Mining and Metals, serves as Vice Chair on the HSE Committee of the International Manganese Institute, and served on the Board of the Minerals Education Trust Fund. She also contributes to several committees within the Minerals Council of South Africa and the International Council for Mining and Metals. Her leadership is characterized by a strategic approach, strong communication and interpersonal skills, and a proven ability to drive transformation and organizational change in complex industrial environments.


2026 Agenda Sessions

Leadership that saves lives: How to shape safer mining operations (Presented by dss+)

From boardroom to frontline – how modern leaders are reshaping what safety really means in mining today.

Safety in mining is more than metrics and compliance – it’s about leadership, decisions and the human impact of managing risk. This session combines a Leadership Master Class with a real-world operational risk use case, showing how courageous, connected leadership can transform culture using safety as a catalyst for change.  
Participants will explore examples for leading the human side of risk, coaching and empowering teams, and embedding accountability and care across operations. Through a practical example of high-potential risk containment, attendees will see how immediate interventions, field engagement, and leadership presence drive measurable results. Leave with actionable strategies to move beyond compliance to conviction, and lead safer, more resilient mining operations. 

Monday 09 February 15:30 - 17:00 Red Sea Stage (CTICC1 – Level 1)

Add to calendar 02/09/2026 15:30 02/09/2026 17:00 Leadership that saves lives: How to shape safer mining operations (Presented by dss+)

From boardroom to frontline – how modern leaders are reshaping what safety really means in mining today.

Safety in mining is more than metrics and compliance – it’s about leadership, decisions and the human impact of managing risk. This session combines a Leadership Master Class with a real-world operational risk use case, showing how courageous, connected leadership can transform culture using safety as a catalyst for change.  
Participants will explore examples for leading the human side of risk, coaching and empowering teams, and embedding accountability and care across operations. Through a practical example of high-potential risk containment, attendees will see how immediate interventions, field engagement, and leadership presence drive measurable results. Leave with actionable strategies to move beyond compliance to conviction, and lead safer, more resilient mining operations. 

Red Sea Stage (CTICC1 – Level 1) Africa/Johannesburg