Our Team

The Board

David Prager - Chairman Chief Brand Officer & Executive Vice President,<br />
De Beers

David Prager - Chairman

Chief Brand Officer & Executive Vice President,
De Beers

David Prager - Chairman Chief Brand Officer & Executive Vice President,<br />
De Beers
David Prager - Chairman
Chief Brand Officer & Executive Vice President,
De Beers
Patrick Coppens - Vice Chair General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Rio Tinto

Patrick Coppens - Vice Chair

General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Rio Tinto

Patrick Coppens - Vice Chair General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Rio Tinto
Patrick Coppens - Vice Chair
General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Rio Tinto
Richard Duffy Chief Executive Officer<br />
Petra Diamonds Limited

Richard Duffy

Chief Executive Officer
Petra Diamonds Limited

Richard Duffy has 27 years of global mining industry experience, initially with Anglo American plc and then AngloGold Ashanti Limited, from its inception in 1998. In 2008, he was appointed Executive Vice President, Africa Region and continued in this role until January 2010 when he took charge of the Continental Africa Region, with operations in Namibia, Tanzania, Guinea, Ghana and Mali and a Joint Venture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2013, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer with direct responsibility for all financial matters including the formulation and execution of financial business strategy, debt and equity financing. In 2015, Mr Duffy became a co-founder and director of Africa Energy Management Platform, a private energy company targeting industrial and mining clients in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr Duffy holds a B. Com degree from the University of Witwatersrand and an MBA from Henley Management College in the UK.

Learn more at Petra>

Richard Duffy Chief Executive Officer<br />
Petra Diamonds Limited
Richard Duffy
Chief Executive Officer
Petra Diamonds Limited

Richard Duffy has 27 years of global mining industry experience, initially with Anglo American plc and then AngloGold Ashanti Limited, from its inception in 1998. In 2008, he was appointed Executive Vice President, Africa Region and continued in this role until January 2010 when he took charge of the Continental Africa Region, with operations in Namibia, Tanzania, Guinea, Ghana and Mali and a Joint Venture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2013, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer with direct responsibility for all financial matters including the formulation and execution of financial business strategy, debt and equity financing. In 2015, Mr Duffy became a co-founder and director of Africa Energy Management Platform, a private energy company targeting industrial and mining clients in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr Duffy holds a B. Com degree from the University of Witwatersrand and an MBA from Henley Management College in the UK.

Learn more at Petra>

Grant Flannigan Board of Directors, RZM Murowa

Grant Flannigan

Board of Directors, RZM Murowa

Grant Robert Flanagan has over 20 years experience specialising in the frontier and emerging market of Africa. He has served as the Chief Operations Officer of EFT Corp, a Mauritius headquartered business with offices in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. He is the founding Chief Executive of Atria Africa, an investment banking boutique and has also served as the Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of the Asset Management Division of the Imara Group.

Grant Flannigan Board of Directors, RZM Murowa
Grant Flannigan
Board of Directors, RZM Murowa

Grant Robert Flanagan has over 20 years experience specialising in the frontier and emerging market of Africa. He has served as the Chief Operations Officer of EFT Corp, a Mauritius headquartered business with offices in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. He is the founding Chief Executive of Atria Africa, an investment banking boutique and has also served as the Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of the Asset Management Division of the Imara Group.

Natural Diamond Council Executive Team

David Kellie

David Kellie

David Kellie has over 30 years’ experience in marketing esteemed consumer brands around the world. David joined the NDC from the Watches of Switzerland Group where he oversaw the marketing launch of the UK’s largest luxury timepiece retailer in to the US. Prior to that, he spent 15 years with Ralph Lauren initially in Geneva and later in New York where he led the global marketing and advertising teams across the full portfolio of brands and business. David joined the NDC in December 2019 and is based in New York.

David Kellie
David Kellie

David Kellie has over 30 years’ experience in marketing esteemed consumer brands around the world. David joined the NDC from the Watches of Switzerland Group where he oversaw the marketing launch of the UK’s largest luxury timepiece retailer in to the US. Prior to that, he spent 15 years with Ralph Lauren initially in Geneva and later in New York where he led the global marketing and advertising teams across the full portfolio of brands and business. David joined the NDC in December 2019 and is based in New York.

Katja Thoelen

Katja Thoelen

Katja Thoelen is Chief Financial Officer of Natural Diamonds Council and responsible for managing finance, accounting, legal, tax and human resources. She has over 20 years of all-round experience, gained in medium-sized international companies active in several industries of which Xella, DME Europe, ITAB Shop Concept and British Petroleum Belgium.

Katja has a hands-on mentality combined with a strong objective and analytical approach to develop workable systems and solve problems. Reliability and integrity are important core values to her.

Katja Thoelen
Katja Thoelen

Katja Thoelen is Chief Financial Officer of Natural Diamonds Council and responsible for managing finance, accounting, legal, tax and human resources. She has over 20 years of all-round experience, gained in medium-sized international companies active in several industries of which Xella, DME Europe, ITAB Shop Concept and British Petroleum Belgium.

Katja has a hands-on mentality combined with a strong objective and analytical approach to develop workable systems and solve problems. Reliability and integrity are important core values to her.

 Kristina Buckley Kayel

Kristina Buckley Kayel

Kristina Buckley Kayel is the Managing Director of the Natural Diamond Council’s North America. She is responsible for steering and implementing NDC’s marketing, communications and digital strategy, its research and insights activity, as well as supporting and partnering with retailers and trade organizations. Prior to NDC, Kristina led marketing and communications and, as a member of the Executive Committee, drove the corporate and brand strategy for the French high jewelry Maison, Van Cleef & Arpels (owned by Compagnie Financière Richemont SA).

 Kristina Buckley Kayel
Kristina Buckley Kayel

Kristina Buckley Kayel is the Managing Director of the Natural Diamond Council’s North America. She is responsible for steering and implementing NDC’s marketing, communications and digital strategy, its research and insights activity, as well as supporting and partnering with retailers and trade organizations. Prior to NDC, Kristina led marketing and communications and, as a member of the Executive Committee, drove the corporate and brand strategy for the French high jewelry Maison, Van Cleef & Arpels (owned by Compagnie Financière Richemont SA).

Sissi Xu

Sissi Xu

Sissi Xu, the Managing Director for Greater China at the Natural Diamond Council, directs the strategic planning and execution of marketing, communication, social and digital strategy, training, and education. She proactively initiates collaborative efforts with retail and trade partners, driving the establishment and nurturing of key retail partnerships in the Chinese market. With nearly two decades of extensive expertise, Sissi has consistently demonstrated excellence in marketing communication and brand promotion. Before joining NDC, Sissi dedicated 5 years to The LEGO Group, leading retail management and shopper marketing. Preceding this, she spent 7 years with SEPHORA China, an esteemed cosmetics retail brand under the French luxury group LVMH, where she oversaw marketing communication, retail activation, PR, and events.

Leveraging her profound knowledge of the luxury goods and lifestyle industry, coupled with an insightful understanding of Chinese millennial consumers, Sissi Xu, with a wealth of leadership experience, leads the NDC Chinese team in championing the natural diamond dream among Chinese consumers.

Sissi Xu
Sissi Xu

Sissi Xu, the Managing Director for Greater China at the Natural Diamond Council, directs the strategic planning and execution of marketing, communication, social and digital strategy, training, and education. She proactively initiates collaborative efforts with retail and trade partners, driving the establishment and nurturing of key retail partnerships in the Chinese market. With nearly two decades of extensive expertise, Sissi has consistently demonstrated excellence in marketing communication and brand promotion. Before joining NDC, Sissi dedicated 5 years to The LEGO Group, leading retail management and shopper marketing. Preceding this, she spent 7 years with SEPHORA China, an esteemed cosmetics retail brand under the French luxury group LVMH, where she oversaw marketing communication, retail activation, PR, and events.

Leveraging her profound knowledge of the luxury goods and lifestyle industry, coupled with an insightful understanding of Chinese millennial consumers, Sissi Xu, with a wealth of leadership experience, leads the NDC Chinese team in championing the natural diamond dream among Chinese consumers.

Raluca Anghel

Raluca Anghel

Based in London, Raluca Anghel is responsible for the NDC’s global external engagement and public affairs, and also leads on communication and marketing in Europe.

Previously, Raluca worked in Brussels for 11 years where she coordinated Microsoft’s European storytelling agenda and then moved to the European Parliament to lead PR campaigns and develop policy in areas such as social affairs, SME growth, and technology. Her most recent role before NDC was Spokesperson for the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council. Raluca is a dynamic communicator with a strong collaborative style and a passion for sustainability!

Raluca Anghel
Raluca Anghel

Based in London, Raluca Anghel is responsible for the NDC’s global external engagement and public affairs, and also leads on communication and marketing in Europe.

Previously, Raluca worked in Brussels for 11 years where she coordinated Microsoft’s European storytelling agenda and then moved to the European Parliament to lead PR campaigns and develop policy in areas such as social affairs, SME growth, and technology. Her most recent role before NDC was Spokesperson for the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council. Raluca is a dynamic communicator with a strong collaborative style and a passion for sustainability!

Richa Singh

Richa Singh

Richa Singh is the Managing Director for the India operations. She is working with her team to infuse greater meaning into Natural Diamonds to create a stronger connect. A true marketing professional with 23 years of proven track record, her experience has helped her to hone her skills in insights mining, deeper consumer understanding, creating campaigns & digital marketing.In her last stint at L’Oreal she helped to scale up businesses and build brands across segments spanning beauty and luxury products. Her dream is to have every Indian woman own a natural diamond and cherish her unique, rare and precious natural diamond story, which she can pass down the generations.​

Richa Singh
Richa Singh

Richa Singh is the Managing Director for the India operations. She is working with her team to infuse greater meaning into Natural Diamonds to create a stronger connect. A true marketing professional with 23 years of proven track record, her experience has helped her to hone her skills in insights mining, deeper consumer understanding, creating campaigns & digital marketing.In her last stint at L’Oreal she helped to scale up businesses and build brands across segments spanning beauty and luxury products. Her dream is to have every Indian woman own a natural diamond and cherish her unique, rare and precious natural diamond story, which she can pass down the generations.​