There’s been a leadership shake-up at the Natural Diamond Council (NDC), with Stephen Lussier retiring as chair and board member.
Lussier was the longest-serving member of the board of directors and played a crucial role in forming the NDC in 2015. He was previously the CEO of Forevermark at the De Beer Group.
As the final remaining original member of that founding board, he said serving the industry had been an honour.
“Consumer desire for diamonds and consumer demand for diamond jewellery is the foundation upon which our industry is built, and the work of the NDC is pivotal in maintaining and building this consumer desire,” Lussier said.
“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.”
The new chair is David Prager, chief brand officer with the De Beers, who joined the NDC as a board member in 2022. He has worked for De Beers for 17 years in various roles.
“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.”
The NDC is based in the US and works to improve consumer confidence in the diamond industry through educational programs.
Earlier this year, the council announced a new partnership with Antwerp’s Diamantkring bourse and released the details of a study into consumer confidence. The NDC was formerly known as the Diamond Producers Association.
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