Michiel Van Der Merwe is the Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal Liberia, where he leads the company’s strategic direction, operational performance, and long-term growth. With more than 25 years of experience in the mining industry, Michiel is a senior mining executive who brings deep expertise in operations, processing, mine planning, and project execution across multiple African jurisdictions. Before joining ArcelorMittal Liberia, Michiel served as Vice President of Operations at Gold Fields Ghana Ltd, a role he assumed in January 2023. In this position, he oversaw the Tarkwa and Damang mines, two of the region’s most prominent gold operations, driving operational excellence, safety enhancements, and value creation. From 2012 to 2022, he held the position of General Manager at Gold Fields Ghana, where he led major operational teams and delivered significant improvements in production performance, asset optimization, and workforce development. Prior to his tenure with Gold Fields, Michiel served as Chief Operations Manager at Sylvania Resources from 2010, guiding the organization’s operational strategy and contributing to plant efficiency and output improvements. Earlier in his career, he held several senior operational roles across Africa. Michiel played a key role in the commissioning of the Morila Gold Mine in Mali and later managed multiple processing plants in South Africa, gaining extensive technical and leadership experience across various mining environments. Michiel began his career at Anglogold Ashanti, joining the company’s graduate programme and progressing rapidly to senior plant metallurgist and metallurgical engineer by 1999. Michiel holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Extractive Metallurgy from the University of Pretoria and speaks English and Afrikaans.