New York – The board of directors of the Natural Diamond Council has announced a new chairman following the departure of Stephen Lussier.
Lussier, the longest-serving member of the board, has announced that he is stepping down as chairman and board member.
He will be replaced by De Beers Chief Brand Officer David Prager, who joined the NDC board last year.
“Across time and across borders, natural diamonds stand out as a source of value and distinction,” said Prager.
“I would like to thank Stephen for his unparalleled contribution to the NDC since its inception. I am proud to serve as Chairman of the NDC and to support its dedicated team in bringing the dream of diamonds to more people around the world.”
Lussier retires in 2022 from De Beers, where he was most recently executive vice president of brands and consumer markets. He spent four decades promoting diamonds, working for De Beers’ former US advertising agency N.W. Ayer before joining the miner in-house.
The NDC noted Lussier’s integral role in bringing miners together to market natural diamonds through the formation of the Diamond Producers Association in 2015, which has since been renamed the Natural Diamond Council.
The organisation said Lussier had served as a liaison between it and its member companies.
“It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to work with Stephen,” said David Kellie, CEO of the Natural Diamond Council.
“His passion for building demand for natural diamonds is unmatched in our industry, and his experience and knowledge of the industry have been critical to the success of the NDC. Despite retiring from De Beers earlier this year, Stephen has agreed to continue in his role with the NDC to ensure a smooth transition to our new Chairman. Personally, I’ll miss his mentorship, but I also wish him a very happy retirement.
