Michiel (Mike) van Akkooi is the Senior Vice President of Global External Affairs and Chairman of the Executive ESG Committee at Kinross Gold Corporation.

Michiel, a native of the Netherlands, joined Kinross Gold Corporation after a diverse career in international politics with the Dutch Government. He holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Amsterdam and an executive MBA from HEC Paris. Michiel has worked across cultures, countries and continents for over 30 years.

Prior to joining Kinross, Michiel held various global government and corporate affairs roles with BHP Billiton across the company’s world-wide minerals and petroleum portfolio based in Singapore, Houston and Melbourne. A secondment in Brazil allowed him to act as BHP Billiton's interim Head of Corporate Affairs for Brazil directly following the Samarco tailings dam tragedy where he helped implement the company’s crisis response.