WDC Executive Director Exits Organization

RAPAPORT... Marie-Chantal Kaninda hasstepped down as executive director of the World Diamond Council (WDC) after two and a half years in the position. "Marie-Chantal's influence on the WDC has been profound,"WDC president Stephane Fischler said Tuesday."As a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and a veteran ofthe African mining sector, she brought to the position a sensibility and intuitiveunderstanding that was particularly important to an organization such as ours." Kaninda, who replaced Patricia Syvrud in the position in March2017, had previously worked for mining companies Rio Tinto, De Beers and AngloGold, primarily in Africa. She was the chair of the Anti-Corruption Initiativefor the private sector for the DRC. In July, Forbes Afrique rankedKaninda number 14 on its list of Africa's 100 most influential women. "The time has come for me to move on," Kaninda explained. "Icertainly do not do so from a place of disillusionment or disappointment, onthe contrary, but simply because [a] new opportunity has presented itself, andat this stage of my career I feel that I must seize it." Although Kaninda's employment ended August 31, she willattend and provide support to the WDC at the organization's annual generalmeeting in Belgium in October and at the Kimberley Process (KP) plenary inIndia in November. Image: Marie-Chantal Kaninda. (World Diamond Council)