Marie-Chantal Kaninda

IWA Team

October 27, 2026

Marie-Chantal Kaninda
President Glencore in DRC and Chairman KCC

Marie-Chantal Kaninda joined Glencore DRC as Executive Director and Head of Corporate Affairs, bringing extensive leadership experience in stakeholder and corporate engagement. In July 2022, she became Chair of the Board of Directors of Kamoto Copper Company (KCC). From January 2023, she has served as President of Glencore DRC.

KCC is widely recognised for producing copper and cobalt responsibly—minerals that underpin modern living and industrial progress. Operating from Kolwezi in the Lualaba Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, KCC holds the distinction of being Africa’s leading copper producer and the world’s leading cobalt producer. Its operations include two open-pit mines (KOV and Mashamba East), one underground mine (KTO), the Kamoto concentrator, and the Luilu refinery. The refinery supports production capacity of 300,000 tonnes of copper cathodes per year and 40,000 tonnes of cobalt hydroxide. As an equal-opportunity employer, KCC actively fosters diversity and inclusion across its workforce.

Kaninda has built her expertise across major global companies, including Ashanti Goldfields, AngloGold Ashanti, and De Beers. At De Beers, she oversaw administration, communications, and external relations in Central Africa, while also leading community relations across Africa. Previously, she served at Rio Tinto as Director of External Relations for Africa.

She holds a degree in Economics from the University of Liège (Belgium). She also made history as the first African woman to chair the World Diamond Council.

A mother of two daughters, she is deeply committed to expanding access for girls and women to education and skills development, and to strengthening their participation in the mining sector. She mentors aspiring women entrepreneurs in the DRC and founded the MCKM Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to girls’ education.

In 2026, she was recognised among the Top 10 most influential women globally in the mining sector, further highlighting her leadership and impact in the industry and she chairs the Board of Directors of the British Chamber of Commerce in the DRC.