Speakers

Morna Ikosa is an accredited chartered public relations practitioner, boasting over a decade of experience in brand management, strategic communications, digital marketing, public relations, stakeholder engagement, and reputation and issues management at both executive and middle management levels. Her expertise has been pivotal in crafting and executing innovative communication strategies and policies that significantly influence high-level decision-making, enhance brand reputation, brand resonance and brand visibility for some of Namibia’s most prestigious brands, including Bank Windhoek, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia, and the Government Institution Pension Fund. Beyond her background in public relations, Morna is a skilled moderator, published author, and aspiring filmmaker. As a passionate columnist and developmental practitioner, she is deeply invested in sustainable development issues. Her adeptness as a moderator is further demonstrated by her participation in esteemed events such as the Mining Women Summit, the Mining Expo, and the NamibRe women's summit conferences, underscoring her influence and leadership in the industry.

Ms. Barcelona Tsauses is the Director of Sustainability and Business Transformation at the Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter. Ms. Tsauses is a Chemical Engineer and holds an Executive Management MBA from the University of Cape Town. She has more than 17 years of experience in various commodities namely: Zinc, Uranium and Copper and has developed and implemented various business systems including Organizational Transformation, Effectiveness and Accountability that led to record production and sustainable value creation over her career. Ms. Tsauses has designed and commissioned various plant units across her career, including the state-of-the-art Sulphuric Acid Plant at the Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter to mention a few. In 2009, she was awarded a global outstanding achievement by Anglo American for the design and commissioning of a processing unit. She is one of the founding members of the Women in Mining Association of Namibia. She is the Chairperson of the Health & Safety Committee of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia and further served on the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) Advisory Committee of the Metallurgy Engineering degree programme.

Chris has worked in various roles in the mining industry for over three decades, these have included both management and operational duties ranging from day-to-day operations to specialized project work. Over Chris’s career, he has worked on mining projects in Australia, Africa, Asia and the Middle East in both the terrestrial and marine environments. Chris has been actively involved in the raising of debt (project, mezzanine, and term loans) and equity finance, offtake arrangements, restructures, merger and acquisition activities including the listing of various mining companies on international stock exchanges. Chris’s years of experience have enhanced his understanding of the various aspects of the open-cut, underground and marine mining processes, be it exploration, geology, sustainable mining practices, development, environment, HSE and project financial parameters.

Gabi Schneider holds MSc and PhD degrees in Economic Geology from Frankfurt University, Germany. She started her career at the Namibian Geological Survey in 1985 and served as its Director from 1996 to 2016, when she joined the Namibian Uranium Institute as Executive Director. She was the President of the Organisation of African Geological Surveys from 2013 to 2016. Her professional experience covers economic, exploration, and environmental geology, as well as management. She is an honorary life member of the Geological Society of Namibia, an honorary fellow of the Geological Society of London, and registered with the Namibian Geoscience Council and the South African Council for Natural Science Professionals. Dr Schneider is a member of a number of working groups of the World Nuclear Association and the International Atomic Energy Agency, where she chairs the Technical Working Group on Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation. She is a member of the scientific committee of UNESCO’s International Geoscience Programme, and locally chairs UNESCO’s Interim Geopark Task Force. She also serves as a member of Namibia’s Geoscience Council. Dr Schneider is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology, and played a leading role in the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Namibian Uranium Province.

John Roos is the Country Manager and Director of B2Gold Namibia, the nation’s largest gold mining company, which is 90% owned by B2Gold Corporation and 10% by EVI Mining Namibia. In his role, John oversees the company’s long-term strategy and corporate development. Before his appointment as Country Manager in November 2022, John led the Corporate Finance function and managed various green energy projects within the company. John is also actively involved in the Company’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives, spearheading various projects. He is a registered Chartered Accountant (SA) and a member of the Executive Committee of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia. Additionally, John serves on the boards of the Save The Rhino Trust and Nakayale Private Academy.

John is an experienced mining executive and geologist with more than 45 years’ uranium industry experience. He founded Paladin Energy Limited in 1993 and took it from a junior explorer to a multi-mine uranium company worth more than US$5 billion at its peak in the pre-Fukushima era developing the Langer Heinrich Mine and the Kayelekera Mine. He was appointed to the role of Managing Director/CEO of Deep Yellow in 2016, has since built a capable, experienced team with a proven track record and initiated a dual pillar growth strategy of discovery of new deposits and mergers and acquisitions. The flagship Tumas Uranium Project in Namibia is now on a development path aiming for production Q3 2027 of 3.6Mlb pa with a 30-year mine life and potential for an increase.

Irvinne Simataa is a qualified, competent mining engineer and mining executive with a set of well-developed competencies and a diversified mineral commodities experience, having managed diverse and unionized, technical, operational and management teams onshore and offshore and indeed internationally. With over 20 years in the mining industry, he has provides leadership on multi-million dollar projects and operations as well as spearheaded successful business turnarounds. He is well positioned to understand and speak to the dynamics of the extractive industry in general. In line with the forever increasing need to find smarter techno-economical means of extracting mineral resources safely and sustainability, he brings innovation and robust thinking to the table with this prime objective in mind.

With 40 years’ working experience in exploration, mining, government, investments, corporate- and project finance, banking and strategic management and having served on boards of several financial and mining companies, Steve retired from banking in early 2017 but still serves on mining, community and governance boards.

George is a Mining Engineer by Training and joined Navachab Gold Mine as a mining engineer in 2004. He has taken roles in strategic mine planning and production management over the years. George was appointed as Managing Director of Navachab Gold mine in January 2018. As Managing Director, George led the mine through a very successful turnaround, increasing production and lowering operating costs. The mine is now able to sustain its operations and has embarked on several expansion projects which include doubling mining and processing capacity. George Holds a Mining Engineering Honours Degree from the University of Zimbabwe, a Post Graduate Mining Engineering degree from Wits University and an MBA from the London School of Business and Finance.