'Outsider' appointed new De Beers CEO

The hasty De Beers' announcement yesterday confirmed weekend reports by Israel-based Diamond Intelligence Briefs (DIB) that Mellier would become the next CEO of De Beers. Mellier, who is currently the President of Alstom Transport, was selected after a wide-ranging, nearly year-long search to replace Gareth Penny who resigned unexpectedly last year.

Announcing the appointment, De Beers Chairman Nicky Oppenheimer said that "in Mellier, the company has found a proven leader with a reputation for delivering results while shaping businesses for the long-term". "De Beers is fortunate to have the world's premier diamond experts - from exploration to mining and from sales to marketing - which enabled us to focus on finding the best leader for De Beers' future," Oppenheimer continued.