DURHAM, N.C. -- The International Zinc Association (IZA) is pleased to announce Boliden President and CEO Mikael Staffas as the new IZA Chairperson, following confirmation today by the IZA Board of Directors at its annual meeting during LME Week.

Mr. Staffas expressed honor at being elected to the position and looked forward to supporting IZA in its work to build sustainable, long-term markets for zinc, ensure license to operate for the industry, and provide guidance for flagship programs such as Zinc Enables Decarbonization, the Zinc Battery Initiative, and the Galvanized Autobody Partnership. Zinc is the world’s fourth most produced base metal, with an annual market of $40 billion.

“The IZA plays a crucial role in growing global demand for zinc and promoting its essentiality to modern life - in health, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and the automotive sector,” said Mr. Staffas. “I look forward to driving progress in all these areas, in addition to focusing on zinc’s inherent sustainability, increasing circularity, and decreasing carbon footprint.”

IZA Executive Director, Dr. Andrew Green, added, “Mikael Staffas has provided extensive guidance and support on IZA’s Executive Committee, as well as successfully leading Boliden, a world leading zinc producer, for many years as President and CEO. We are thrilled he is stepping into this leadership role at IZA. I look forward to collaborating with him on steering IZA and the zinc industry through the opportunities and challenges ahead. I also want to thank our previous Chair Arun Misra of Hindustan Zinc Limited for his outstanding guidance and governance with IZA over the past three years.”