The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) CEO David Kellie has announced he will retire from the diamond industry association at the end of 2025, according to media reports.
The announcement comes shortly after the successful signing of the Luanda Accord, under which a number of biggest diamond producing countries have agreed to fund NDC’s natural diamond marketing initiatives by allocating some of the revenue from rough diamond sales.
“It’s been on mind for a while,” JCK quotes his as saying. “I didn’t want to announce I was retiring before the agreement for fear of it disrupting the process.”
Kellie said he would pursue personal goals after retirement and would only consider returning to the industry if someone approaches him “with something incredibly exciting.”
“I remain committed to the mission of the NDC through the remainder of the year, including the onboarding of new members and the launch of a successful new campaign in the fourth quarter,” Kellie said to Rapaport News, adding that his successor will be chosen by the board of directors.
At the same time, Kellie cautioned the wider industry against being complacent about the NDC’s current financial position. He noted that the NDC’s budget for this year “is still only $40 million.”
“Despite the excitement around the Luanda agreement, I don’t want people to think the NDC is fully funded,” he added.
Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished
