DiamondBuzz
Petra Diamonds Confirms Vivek Gadodia and Juan Kemp as Joint CEOs, Strengthens Board Leadership
New permanent appointments aim to drive operational stability, corporate efficiency, and long-term value creation.
Petra Diamonds has officially named Vivek Gadodia and Juan Kemp as joint CEOs, following approval at the company’s annual general meeting on November 27. The duo, who have served as joint interim CEOs since February, will now continue in these roles on a permanent basis. Gadodia will lead the corporate strategy, while Kemp will oversee the miner’s operations, with both reporting regularly to the board.
“In the past nine months, we have shaped Petra into a more streamlined and resilient business as we worked through the company’s refinancing. We are committed to guiding the organisation forward, with a clear focus on delivering our extension projects and unlocking value for stakeholders in the short to medium term,” they said.
In parallel, Petra Diamonds has expanded and reshaped its board. Kushal Kamir, a finance veteran with more than 30 years of global experience in corporate banking, investment management, and credit markets, has joined as a nonexecutive director. Lerato Molebatsi has been appointed senior independent nonexecutive director, while José Manuel Vargas will now chair the remuneration and nomination committees. All appointments take effect immediately.
At the same time, Alex Watson, board observer, and Bernard Pryor, senior non-executive director and chair of the nomination committee, have stepped down from their roles.
DiamondBuzz
Diamond Slump forces Debswana to diversify into copper, platinum and solar
Diamond-centric mining models is giving way to broader resource portfolios
Debswana Diamond Company, the 50–50 joint venture between the Botswana government and De Beers, is moving to diversify into copper, platinum and renewable energy as the prolonged downturn in natural diamond demand pressures earnings and forces the industry to rethink its growth strategy.
The company’s board has approved plans to invest in a portfolio of non-diamond projects after revenue fell 46% in 2024, the latest available financial year, highlighting the scale of the downturn in the global diamond market.

The move signals a strategic shift toward commodities with stronger long-term demand fundamentals, particularly copper, which is central to global electrification and energy-transition infrastructure.
Debswana’s diversification reflects a broader industry pivot as diamond producers confront weak consumer demand, rising competition from lab-grown stones and elevated inventories across the supply chain.
The shift is also visible among smaller exploration companies. Botswana Diamonds recently rebranded as Botswana Minerals, signalling its own strategic focus on copper exploration rather than diamonds.
Together, these moves underscore a growing consensus across the sector: the era of diamond-centric mining models is giving way to broader resource portfolios anchored in energy-transition metals.
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