Philippe Says Adieu: The Change at De Beers and What It Means

(jckonline.com) - Philippe Mellier was always an odd choice to head De Beers—he was not just the first outsider to serve as CEO, but he came from the transportation business and had no experience in either mining or marketing. What he did have was an impressive résumé, with extensive experience heading large organizations. Mellier’s tenure was marked by tremendous change and turmoil. As CEO, Mellier made a series of bold moves, although the jury is still out on many of them. His departure had been rumored for a while, after his name surfaced as a candidate to head Air France. (He didn’t get that job.) Still, while many sightholders were not always big fans of Mellier, some winced at the prospect of a new CEO. After all the turmoil last year, they felt they had arrived at something of an understanding with Mellier.