-The new helmswoman of the Congress emphasized that Expomin 2023 is a valuable and unmissable event for all members of the global mining ecosystem. Santiago, January 04, 2023 – Teck’s Vice President for South America, Amparo Cornejo, assumed the presidency of the XVII version of the International Congress of Expomin 2023. She has extensive experience in the mining sector and is also currently a director of the National Mining Society (Sonami) and a member of the Executive Leadership Committee of the Mining Council. She also serves as a director of the Chilean Pacific Foundation and the Chilean-Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Among her recognitions in the mining industry are the one awarded by the Canadian Embassy in Chile for her contribution to the development of indigenous peoples; elected as Executive of the Year by the organization Women in Mining Chile; and named among the 100 World’s Most Inspirational Women in Mining by Women In Mining UK. In her new role, Amparo Cornejo highlights feeling motivated to be the first woman to assume this position and emphasized that in Congress 2023 she will seek to generate “a more diverse version connected with the interests of society and not only with our agenda as an industry”. She highlighted that within the framework of the congress, relevant issues such as sustainability, positive social impact, use of renewable energies, zero emission fleets, circular economy, diversity, equity and inclusion will be addressed. 1.- How do you receive the appointment of being the first president of the International Congress of Expomin? It is a very important challenge that I assume motivated, not only for being the first woman to preside this prestigious meeting (in 2023 it should not be a surprise) but also for the moment of transformation that mining is going through. Through the Expomin 2023 International Congress, we have the opportunity to continue demonstrating that mining is becoming more and more open to be a diverse industry, with greater integration, certainly of gender, but also with a significant openness on the part of the professionals who lead it, incorporating to the mining tradition and experience, a look from other professional experiences to broaden the perspective of analysis, innovations and commitments, making mining a much more prepared activity for the challenges of the future. Likewise, from my role in this 2023 version, I would like to highlight the challenge that mining has as a facilitator of the urgent transitions that our society is promoting to face the effects of climate change. I am talking about the transition to a low-carbon economy, towards the protection of biodiversity, towards greater transparency and dialogue, towards the efficient and sustainable use of resources, to name a few. Biodiversity is another of the issues that requires a relevant commitment, given the progressive loss that is being recorded in recent decades worldwide. Attention to nature is seen as the “next climate change”, so having biodiversity objectives is fundamental for mining leadership in sustainability. 2.- Women’s participation has grown in the industry and in the last decade there has been a professionalization of the role of women in this type of events. How do you think Expomin has contributed to this evolution? The presence of women in the mining industry has been growing in percentage of participation and also, although not at the same speed, in the performance of increasingly important leadership roles. In order to make these processes of equity sustainable over time, all organizations in the mining ecosystem are joining forces to make consistent and sustainable cultural changes over time. Expomin has made important changes. Today it has a strategic alliance with the non-governmental organization Woman in Mining Chile, with which it has worked on the elaboration of a behavior protocol for the respect of people’s dignity and condemnation of sexist behavior. It has also promoted the visibility of the role of women as experts, with a greater presence in the reports on the topics under discussion. Both initiatives contribute to break stereotypes and generate a cultural change with a gender perspective in the industry, especially because Expomin is one of the most important fairs in the world and is attended by thousands of students who are the next generations of the mining industry. 3.- Who do you expect to attract for this new version? Both the exhibition and the International Congress of Expomin 2023 are a valuable and unmissable event for all the members of the global mining ecosystem. The organizers have developed a solid agenda and are projecting one of the most dynamic versions with the presence of more than a thousand brands and exhibitors from 35 countries, and estimate the presence of more than 50 thousand professional visitors. In addition, we seek to generate a more diverse version connected with the interests of society and not only with our agenda as an industry. Therefore, the call is for more social actors, organizations, entrepreneurs, academia, among others, so that they can also identify opportunities and the contributions that mining is making in other relevant areas such as sustainability, positive social impact, use of renewable energy, zero emission fleets, circular economy, diversity, equity and inclusion. 4.- Expomin 2023 is a meeting point for the transfer of knowledge and innovation in the mining industry. How will sustainability take part in this XVII version? The mining industry has a relevant role in the future. Decarbonization and the need for critical minerals for a low-carbon economy are projected to be in unprecedented demand, but just as important as increasing our production in an efficient and innovative way, is to do so in a sustainable manner. Investors and communities are increasingly demanding more information and transparency on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, our environmental footprint, and the equity, inclusion and diversity policies with which we are working. For this reason, and as highlighted by the Minister of Mining, Marcela Hernando, at the launch, the 17th version will allow us to add to the technological, equipment and industrial development contents, those critical aspects that society demands about the way we are producing. Energy transition, environmental care, water resources, green hydrogen, mining safety, links with communities, opportunities for small mining, among others, will be part of the contents of Expomin 2023.