Juan Ignacio Díaz
President & CEO International Copper Association
Juan Ignacio Díaz is the President and CEO of the International Copper Association. With more than 18 years of experience leading complex businesses within major corporations, he has directed sustainable technology implementation across the energy, mining and transportation sectors. Juan Ignacio’s professional journey in the United States and Latin America shapes his global perspective. His leadership roles span from his most recent position as the Senior Vice President and Compliance Officer for Siemens USA and Latin America to serving as the CEO of Siemens in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean; CEO of Siemens Chile; and General Counsel for Siemens South America. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors for Plasma Water Solutions, Inc. A multilingual executive fluent in Spanish and English, Juan Ignacio holds an MBA from Adolfo Ibanez University, an LL.M from Duke University School of Law and a LL.B/JD from Finis Terrae University School of Law. Juan Ignacio possesses a passion for life-long learning, completing executive education programs at INSEAD and Harvard University.
2026 Agenda Sessions
Joined at the Source: Building Copper- Cobalt Partnerships
Copper and cobalt are geological partners, yet above ground they are managed in silos. In Africa’s Copperbelt, where both are co- located, this fragmented approach undermines value capture, sustainability, and resilience. This session explores how partnerships across governments, industry, and civil society can integrate co-located resources for greater efficiency and fairness. Panellists will debate new models for collaboration and share lessons from cross- commodity and cross-jurisdiction experience offering bold ideas to shape Africa’s role in the future of critical minerals future.
Wednesday 11 February 10:15 - 11:00 Ngorongoro Crater Stage (CTICC1 - Level 2)
Critical minerals
Governance, regulation and policy
Copper and cobalt are geological partners, yet above ground they are managed in silos. In Africa’s Copperbelt, where both are co- located, this fragmented approach undermines value capture, sustainability, and resilience. This session explores how partnerships across governments, industry, and civil society can integrate co-located resources for greater efficiency and fairness. Panellists will debate new models for collaboration and share lessons from cross- commodity and cross-jurisdiction experience offering bold ideas to shape Africa’s role in the future of critical minerals future.
Ngorongoro Crater Stage (CTICC1 - Level 2) Africa/Johannesburg
-Logo_CMYK_1.jpg?width=1000&height=500&ext=.jpg){kind=logo}
_1.png?ext=.png){kind=logo}
_mi25-weblogo.png?ext=.png)
