It’s a fact of life that people come and people go. There’s just no telling how the personnel landscape will change during the course of a year. We review 2007 and find out who moved up, who moved on and who moved out…

 

Diamond Trading Company (DTC) Sales Director Des Cavanagh bade farewell to the company with his September retirement after nearly 30 years with the company. He joined De Beers in 1977 as a diamond sorter and valuer. In the late 90s, he was appointed MD of the Diamdel Group. In 2004, he became executive director of Purchasing at the DTC and was made sales director in 2005.

 

De Beers also said goodbye to Rory More O’Ferrall, the director of External Affairs, who retired after 36 years with the company. His other roles at De Beers included five years in Outside Buying in Zaire, Sierra Leone, and Antwerp; sales manager and a member of the Central Sorting Office’s Management Committee; manager banking liaison, responsible for De Beers’ contacts with leading banks; and director Corporate Affairs (later Public & Corporate Affairs).

 

One of the biggest surprises of the year came with the resignation of Nirupa Bhatt, Rio Tinto Diamonds’ marketing manager in India. Bhatt is moving over to the GIA where she will have responsibility for India and the Middle East.

 

Lev Polyakov, president of the Moscow Diamond Bourse (MDB), stepped down as president of the exchange, citing his wish to reduce his workload. Alex Popov is filling the role of executive vice president and CEO until a new board is elected. Popov continues to hold the portfolio of international relations at the bourse. Polyakov, who was the managing director of the diamond exchange before becoming president, led the MDB to become the 26th member of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses in June 2006.

 

Eli Avidar took up his position as the new managing director of the Israel Diamond Institute (IDI) at the start of the year. Avidar replaced Efraim Raviv, who retired after holding the position for 20 years. Previously, Avidar represented Israel in government and Foreign Service roles including Consul-General for Hong Kong and Macau from 2001 to 2005 and as head of the trade representation office of Israel in Doha, Qatar from 1999 to 2001.

 

Staying in Ramat Gan, the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) held its 58th annual elections. Incumbent president, Avi Paz, ran unopposed and was unanimously elected to a second term.

 

The first chairman of the Kimberley Process, Abbey Chikane, was appointed the new CEO of the South African State Diamond Trader (SDT). Chikane is a vice president and founder of Gemini Consulting, a sub-Saharan company that deals in diamond trading.

 

Staying with the world of mining, BHP Billiton named Graham Kerr president of its Diamonds and Specialty Products Customer Sector Group. Kerr replaced Alberto Calderon who became the group executive and chief commercial officer.

 

Another mining move came with the election of Richard G. Molyneux, former president and CEO of De Beers Canada, to the board of directors of Tahera Diamond Corporation.

 

In Canada, Kim Truter was appointed president and chief operating officer of Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. (DDMI). Truter joined Diavik from Rio Tinto Coal Australia.

 

Mark Anderson, who served as Diavik’s president and COO for more than two years, became Global Practice Leader of Mining, Technology and Innovation with Rio Tinto’s Global Practice Mining Team in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

Australian diamond miner Kimberley Diamond appointed Gordon Gilchrist as its executive director. Gilchrist is former managing director of Rio Tinto Diamonds. Before that, he headed Argyle Diamond Mines.

 

Stornoway Diamond Corporation appointed Matt Manson as resident of Stornoway. He also joined the board of directors. Manson was previously president and CEO of Contact Diamond Corporation and Ashton Mining of Canada Inc., two wholly-owned Stornoway subsidiaries.

 

It was all change at Alrosa as president Alexander Nichiporuk handed over the reins of the Russian state-owned mining company to Sergei Vybornov. The miner also appointed Galina V. Klimenko as a vice president with responsibility for corporate development issues.

 

The American Gem Society Laboratories, LLC appointed Joe Van Ells to the newly created position of director, Gemological Services. Van Ells is responsible for directing the Lab’s team of diamond grading professionals.

 

American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) President Rick Krementz resigned during a board of director’s conference call. First Vice Chairman Barbara Lawrence, president of Boston Gems and Findings, assumed the post and is holding it until the end of Krementz’s term in February 2009.

 

Like last year, 2007 proved eventful for Zale Corp. Not only did the company decided to sell its Bailey Banks & Biddle units, but Chairman Richard C. Marcus resigned from his post. He was replaced by John B. Lowe Jr. In addition, Zale announced the resignation of Frank Mroczka, senior vice president of Zale and president of Gordon’s Jewelers. He was replaced by Steve Lang, vice president of Zale North America.

 

Anaggh Desai, CEO of Damas India, resigned from the company, although he agreed to stay until a new CEO is in place.

 

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) chose Tawfic Farah as its new vice president of International Operations. Farah returned to GIA from the Dubai Multi-Commodities Commission (DMCC) where he had served as executive director for diamonds and colored stones since June 2004. GIA also announced that Duncan Pay, the director of Course Development, was moving to the newlycreated position of Chief Academic Officer. Effective January 1, Pay will assume the responsibilities of Brook Ellis, vice president of Education, who is to become executive advisor to assist with transitional issues until his full retirement in June 2009.

 

Joining the GIA board of governors were Dione D. Kenyon, president and CEO of the Jewelers Board of Trade, and Frederick N. Levinger, CEO at Nobadeer Enterprises/Speidel. Retirees from the board were Nancy Brewer of Nancy B. & Company; George Rossman, Ph.D., of the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech); Lee Michael Berg, president/ CEO of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry; and Michael Kazanjian of Kazanjian Bros, Inc.

 

John Green, president and CEO of Lux Bond & Green, was elected chairman of the Jewelers of America board of directors. Green succeeded John Cohen of Carlyle & Co., whose two-year term had expired.

 

Green’s father, Robert, presided over the board of directors from 1987-1989. The board also chose a new director, Peter Engel, president of Fred Meyer Jewelers, Inc.

 

To fulfill its desire to increase the banking presence in its diamond center, the Almas Tower, the DMCC appointed Jean van der Donckt special advisor Diamond Banking.

 

Stephane Fischler became the new chairman of the International Diamond Council (IDC), succeeding Edward Asscher, who had held the post since 1990. Fischler is also the secretary-general and treasurer of IDMA, vice president of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) and president of the European Council of Diamond Manufacturers.

 

De Beers appointed Louis Vuitton executive, Francois Delage, as its CEO for the new De Beers division, De Beers Group Marketing. The division will be responsible, among other tasks, for developing and marketing “big ideas.”

 

U.S. jeweler Fortunoff selected Bernard Sensale as its new chief marketing officer. Sensale was formerly senior vice president of marketing at Zale. He will be responsible for traditional and online marketing.

 

The International Diamond Laboratories (IDL) chose Samit Bhatta to be general manager India & Middle East. Bhatta served as sales and marketing manager of DTC India and general manager sales and marketing at jewelry retailer Damas.

 

Devika Gidwani became the COO and country head of the new HRD office in Mumbai. The office offers all the services provided in Antwerp, including certification of diamonds and precious stones, conducting courses and sale of equipment developed by HRD’s research team.

 

An appointment that raised some eyebrows came when Gemesis announced that former Diamond Information Center (DIC) Director Joan Parker had been appointed brand ambassador. Another “former” to hang his hat at Gemesis this year included former Zale President Larry Pollock who joined the board of directors.

 

Frank Dallahan became the president and CEO of the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. Dallahan had previously served as president and CEO of Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA).

 

The American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) appointed colored stone specialist Elizabeth P. Quinn, B.Sc., G.G., FGA, as senior staff gemologist. Quinn has almost a dozen years of experience in the field.

 

The World Gold Council selected Ajay Mitra as managing director in India. Mitra filled the gap left by the departure of former MD Sanjeev Agarwal in 2006.

 

In 2007, Steinmetz Diamond Group restructured its management. CEO Nir Livnat assumed the newly created post of executive chairman. Ori Temkin, previously responsible for Livnat, retains responsibility for special stones business and leading the group’s strategic and business development plans.

 

HRD Antwerp NV appointed Dirk Dullaert as commercial director of the newly formed company. Dullaert is responsible for the development of HRD

Antwerp NV’s commercial activities both in Belgium and abroad. HRD Antwerp NV is the commercial subsidiary of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), formerly known as the Hoge Raad voor Diamant (HRD).

 

Lyle M. Rose was appointed to head LID, one of the world’s largest diamond manufacturers and a Diamond Trading Corporation (DTC) Sightholder.