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Mumbai, India--Stephen Lussier, the longest serving member of the Natural Diamond Council’s Board of Directors, has announced that he will be retiring from his roles as chair and board member. David Prager, Chief Brand Officer at De Beers and active NDC board member since 2022, will replace him as Chair, NDC said in a statement Tuesday.

Lussier played an instrumental role in bringing together competitors from the mining sector to invest in the global marketing of natural diamonds through the formation of the NDC (formerly the Diamond Producers Association) in 2015, NDC said in a statement. Since then, he has continued to provide leadership and support to the NDC’s management team, while being a bridge between the NDC management team and its member companies.

“It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to work with Stephen,” says David Kellie, CEO of NDC. “His passion for building the desire for natural diamonds is unmatched in our industry and his experience and knowledge of the industry has been pivotal to the success of the NDC. Despite retiring from De Beers earlier this year, Stephen agreed to continue in his role with the NDC to ensure a smooth transition to our new Chair. Personally, I'll miss his mentorship, but also wish him a very happy retirement.”

“As the only remaining original member of the founding board, it’s been a great honor to serve as Chair and help contribute to the incredibly important work of the NDC,” Lussier said. “Consumer desire for diamonds and consumer demand for diamond jewelry are the foundation upon which our industry is built, and the work of the NDC is pivotal in maintaining and building this consumer desire. This could not be clearer than it is in the current market. I remain fully confident that with the right marketing, the diamond dream will live “forever.”

"I'm delighted that David Prager has agreed to take over the role of Chair. As an active participant with the NDC for the last three years, becoming a board director at the end of 2022, David is perfectly placed to support the future growth of the NDC,” Kellie said.

“Across time and borders, natural diamonds stand apart as a source of value and values,” Prager said. “I would like to thank Stephen for his singular contribution to the NDC since its inception. I am proud to serve as chairman of the NDC and support its dedicated team to connect more people around the world to the diamond dream.”