Cleaver to Step Down as De Beers Group CEO

(IDEX Online) – Bruce Cleaver is to step down early next year as CEO of De Beers Group and will be replaced by Al Cook, of the Norwegian energy giant Equinor.

Cleaver, who was appointed as CEO in 2016, will become co-chairman of the company.

Cook is currently executive vice president of exploration and production international at Equinor, the state-owned petroleum company, with responsibility for operations in 12 countries across Africa, North America, South America and Europe. Before that he worked at BP for 20 years.

Cleaver joined De Beers Group in 2005 and has been a board director since 2008. During his tenure, De Beers launched the world’s largest and most sophisticated diamond recovery and exploration vessels and redesigned supply agreements with Sightholders to enhance the efficiency of rough diamond distribution, the company said.

It also integrated the organization’s downstream businesses; created Tracr, the world’s only distributed diamond blockchain that starts at the source; launched the Lightbox Jewelry laboratory-grown diamond business; and established and embedded the Building Forever sustainability framework.

Duncan Wanblad, De Beers Group chairman and Anglo American chief executive said: “Bruce has led De Beers with distinction, evolving the company’s strategic vision to ensure that consumers’ desire for diamond jewellery is at the very heart of decision making across the diamond pipeline, while leading a safety transformation to ensure employee safety and wellbeing are recognised as the first priority and a shared responsibility.”

Pics shows (L-R) Al Cook and Bruce Cleaver

GIA Diamond

Credit: John Jeffay

Posted by: SGDX Singapore Diamond Exchange