Aurubis CEO Dr. Toralf Haag meets with high-school students in the new “mint:dual goes CEO” dialogue format

Three students, one CEO, an hour of real, candid exchange — the NAT Initiative’s “mint:dual goes CEO” series creates space for young women to talk directly to top managers. Aurubis kicked of the new mint:dual dialogue series.

Today Aurubis invited three young women to take an in-depth look into the world of an international industrial company with the new “mint:dual goes CEO” format. Beyond the exchange with CEO Dr. Toralf Haag, the event also explored how companies can attract and motivate young people — especially girls and young women — to pursue STEM and other technical professions.

A new format engages with schools

The NAT Initiative, Naturwissenschaft und Technik (Natural Sciences and Technology), launched the “mint:dual goes CEO” outreach format, the first of its kind. It brings high-school students to the table to chat with leaders at partner companies. Aurubis was the first company to try its hand at the exchange format. No speeches, no corporate videos, no auditoriums, just an open-ended conversation among equals. One hour in which real questions get real answers.

“If we want to win over the next generation of young women for the metals industry, we have to talk with and not about them. I’m delighted that we were able to create this direct, personal connection today, and was impressed by how brave the questions were”, says Dr. Haag.

Sabine Fernau, Managing Director of the NAT Initiative, explained the idea:

“We believe in the curiosity, the drive, and the ideas of young people. This is why we are bringing them directly into spaces where real decisions take shape. Meaningful exchanges of ideas open doors that no school curriculum can unlock.”

Promoting STEM hands-on

That Aurubis was entrusted with launching the first event in the “mint:dual goes CEO” series was a logical consequence of its many years as a NAT Initiative partner: NAT has been working with universities, colleges and companies on hands-on, practical STEM education since 2007 — and Aurubis has been on board as a corporate partner since the start.

“Through our support of NAT, we want to engage with girls from a young age, show them how many options a career in STEM can offer, and let them know their questions, ideas and perspectives count. Direct dialogue is our most important lever here,” Michaela Juschkus, Head of Social Engagement at Aurubis, notes.

The mint:dual outreach project takes this approach to a new level: It is designed to engage with young women aged 14 to 18, show how exciting technical professions can be, and help them transition into an apprenticeship or dual study program.

Women in the metals industry

What are young women looking for when choosing a career? What questions would they like to ask a CEO if given the chance? And how can companies like Aurubis win girls over for STEM and other technical jobs? These central questions shaped the conversation between Latifah Dinlemez, Elmira Gevorgjan, and Emilia Müller and Aurubis CEO Dr. Toralf Haag.

“I didn’t expect that a CEO would talk so openly about his personal career path — it showed me that I can find my own path too”, says Latifah Dinlemez, student at Gyula Trebitsch School.

The students’ questions covered career paths and daily working life, personal qualities and values, sustainability and artificial intelligence. One hit particularly close to home: whether it was easier to make it in the metals industry as a woman today.

This is a question Aurubis knows well. The company is a powerful advocate for more women in the metals industry — in the company and in the sector as a whole — with the Women4Metals Initiative.

“At Aurubis we create a work environment that enables everyone to realize their full potential. We can only succeed as a company if we bring together a wide range of perspectives. Women4Metals illustrates this approach: We founded the initiative at Aurubis to attract more women to the metals industry, raise the visibility of diverse voices, and foster dialogue and knowledge sharing,” Dr. Toralf Haag says.

160 years of know-how

Aurubis is celebrating its 160^th anniversary in 2026. The company has stood for multimetal expertise, quality and industrial resilience since 1866. These strengths are not just thanks to plants, processes and technologies; they are primarily embodied in the knowledge of the people shaping the company. So passing this knowledge on to the next generation and encouraging them to pursue a career in industry is essential to future-proofing the company.

“The future needs metals and people ready to tap their potential. Fostering young talent is a strategic imperative. Which is why we make sure to offer young people behind-the-scenes looks, orientation and real face-to-face interactions”, according to Dr. Haag.

Direct engagement with school-age girls brings this approach to life: It fosters connection, breaks down barriers, and shows that STEM and technical professions and leadership roles are not abstract ideals, but real opportunities that are within reach.

For more information please visit www.mintdual.de and the NAT Initiative at www.nat.hamburg.

As part of its “together we care” social engagement, Aurubis is actively committed to education, nurturing young talent, and fostering social participation.