Director of Marketing & Public Relations Mining Indaba™ Maria is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations, placing her in an elite group of international event professionals. Maria joined the organising team in 2009 and is responsible for developing the global marketing and public relations strategy for the Mining Indaba brand. She is also responsible for the development and management of the brand’s corporate social initiatives specifically the Mining Indaba Bursary Programme and other education initiatives within Africa. Working directly with top level management, Maria is responsible for setting the strategic course for the marketing group, conducts research to support new market expansion, oversees the group’s international press relations program, and manages all marketing activities. Her experience includes management, strategy, market research, competitive analysis, communications, branding, and public relations within global media companies. She holds a Master of Business Administration and Marketing (MBA) Business, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey.