The De Beers Group of Companies announced the departure of Varda Shine, Executive Vice President of Global Sight holder Sales from the organisation at the end of January 2014 and the appointment of Paul Rowley, Senior Vice President of Midstream Operations for Global Sightholder Sales as the one succeeding Shine as Executive Vice President following a comprehensive handover.

Shine will also step down as Chairperson of the DTC Botswana board and Deputy Chairperson of the Namibia DTC board with successors to be announced in due course.

Philippe Mellier, CEO of the De Beers Group of Companies, said: “Varda’s contribution to De Beers has been immense over three decades with the business and I would like to thank her wholeheartedly for her tireless commitment to the success of De Beers, its partners and the wider diamond industry. I am delighted to have a successor with Paul’s expertise in diamonds and experience in Africa to take Global Sightholder Sales forward - he will provide excellent continuity of leadership as the business settles in its new home”.

Varda Shine said: “I am very proud of all I have achieved with De Beers, both on the commercial side as well as establishing beneficiation at the heart of the organisation. I have really enjoyed working with our Sightholders over the years, witnessing their businesses transform, and with our government partners in the establishment of the DTC Botswana and Namibia DTC joint ventures and in managing the relocation of the Global Sightholder Sales operations from the UK to Botswana. I believe that De Beers has a very bright future in southern Africa and Paul has all the right ingredients to take the business on to further success”.

Paul Rowley joined De Beers in 1983 and held senior positions in the organisation, also serving on both the DTC Botswana and Namibia DTC boards and as Acting CEO of DTC Botswana prior to his current role. His earlier experience also includes key account management, rough diamond purchasing in various African diamond producing countries and heading the Global Sightholder Sales Diamond Division. He said: “I am very excited to take up this new role. I have been fortunate enough to have worked all over southern Africa, forming strong relationships with our government partners, and to have built up decades of experience with rough diamonds. It will be a privilege to work more closely with our Sightholders, who are among the world’s leading diamantaires, and I look forward to starting a new chapter for Global Sightholder Sales in Botswana”.