Cleaver will become co-chair of De Beers Group, after steering the diamond producer through a period of considerable change in the industry. Under his leadership, DeBeers championed initiatives to remove “conflict diamonds, those mined in an area of armed conflict and traded illicitly to finance the fighting, and grew its sales agreements.
Duncan Wanblad, who in April took over from Mark Cutifani as CEO of Anglo American (LON: AAL), De Beers’ parent company, said today Cook’s broad base of skills won him the position.
Cook will be the third chief executive of De Beers since 2012, when Anglo bought the Oppenheimers’ 40% stake in the diamond company, bringing an end to 80 years of control under the South African family.
De Beers has benefitted from a steady recovery in the diamond market since early 2021. Sanctions on Alrosa (MCX: ALRS), its Russian rival, have also boosted the miner’s position as a global shortage…
