David Kellie has announced plans to step down as CEO of the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) at the end of the year.

Kellie revealed on LinkedIn Sunday that he had advised the NDC’s board of directors of his imminent retirement. He first took over as chief of the NDC, which carries out category marketing on behalf of the industry, in 2019 following the departure of Jean-Marc Lieberherr. At the time, it still called itself the Diamond Producers Association (DPA). He led it through its rebrand, a strategy it launched to enhance its appeal to younger consumers and stress the value and importance of natural diamonds.

The NDC chief also saw the council through the last three years of difficulty sustaining category marketing after Alrosa’s exit following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hit its budget. The miner was previously one of the NDC’s largest contributors.

Kellie’s departure follows the successful signing of the Luanda Accord, a commitment from many African diamond-producing countries and industry organizations to create a collective marketing fund for natural diamonds, which the NDC will implement.

“I remain committed to the mission of the NDC through the remainder of the year, including the onboarding of new members and the launch of a successful new campaign in the fourth quarter,” said Kellie. “My plans after the NDC? To enjoy a life of retirement, spending more time with friends and family, and traveling more. Unless something exciting tempts me to do otherwise.”

The NDC has not yet responded to a request for further information from Rapaport News on Kellie’s departure and his potential replacement.

Courtesy: Rapaport