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De Beers Reorganizes Senior Leadership Team To Build Brands With Social Purpose November 16, 2020 (0 comments)
London, UK—De Beers has announced a series of shuffles in senior management responsibilities, with an eye toward creating brands of social purpose. The reorganization combines its London-based Consumer & Brands and Corporate Affairs teams into a new single unit, Brands & Consumer Markets. The new unit will be fully accountable for the development of the group’s brands and the expansion of its consumer businesses. The unit is dedicated to both marketing and social purpose: engaging consumers in both the beauty of a De Beers diamond and the beauty of its story.
Leading the team are Stephen Lussier (top image) and David Prager. Lussier has been appointed executive vice president, Consumer Markets, and will continue to serve as the chairman of De Beers Jewellers and Forevermark. He is accountable for the long-term vision and strategy of De Beers’ consumer businesses. Prager was named executive vice president and Chief Brand Officer, responsible for the marketing of De Beers and its brands and leading the Group’s commitment to creating a positive impact in the lives of people and the health of the planet through De Beers’ Building Forever sustainability framework. Lussier and Prager will continue to sit on the De Beers Group Executive Committee.
David Prager
De Beers also is pleased to announce the following appointments to its Brand Leadership Team:
- Katie Fergusson has been appointed senior vice president, sustainable impact. Integral to the multi-year development of De Beers’ Building Forever framework, she will lead the evolution and implementation of Building Forever, including across the group’s community and environment functions, to create value and a positive legacy for communities, partner countries, employees, and consumers.
- Feriel Zerouki has been appointed senior vice president, corporate affairs, leading a team accountable for securing ethical and sustainable value chains, international relations, industry engagement, and corporate and employee communications.
- Colby Shergalis has been named senior vice president, brand marketing. Having led insight-driven campaigns to connect consumers with De Beers Group, Forevermark and, through her prior agency experience, A Diamond Is Forever, Shergalis will shape a brand marketing strategy underpinned by social purpose and focused on exciting a new generation of consumers.
- Martha Velando has been appointed senior vice president, global marketing. Having joined De Beers earlier this year as CMO of Forevermark, she will lead the global marketing and amplification of De Beers and its brands.
Colby Shergalis
All will work closely with Céline Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewellers, and Nancy Liu, CEO of Forevermark, and their teams, to drive compelling, purpose-led marketing.
Bruce Cleaver, De Beers Group CEO, said: “As new generations of consumers look to express not just their love, but their values, through the purchases they make for others and the things they buy for themselves, the transformation and appointments we have announced reflect our conviction that compelling and meaningful brands will shape the future of diamonds.”
Separately, De Beers announced the retirement of Jonathan (Jonnie) Kendall, a 20-year veteran who led the development and launch and headed what is today known as De Beers Group Industry Services and the Institute of Diamonds. The group offers diamond grading, testing, synthetic detection technology, and education services to the diamond trade. He also oversaw the building of two globally recognised diamond laboratories in Antwerp and Surat.
Jamie Clark will take over responsibility for managing the diamond laboratories. Emanuela Morando will continue to head up client management and business development, and Jodine Perrin will continue to lead the company’s consumer and trade education services program.