London—De Beers Group announced Thursday that Chief Trade and Industry Officer Feriel Zerouki has decided to leave the company at the end of the month.
Zerouki has been with De Beers since 2005, starting as a supply chain analyst for the Diamond Trading Co.’s Supplier of Choice program.
Over the years, Zerouki worked her way up, serving as senior vice president of international relations and ethical initiatives, senior vice president of corporate affairs, and chief trade and industry officer, the role she has held for the last five months.
She led the launch of Tracr, De Beers’ blockchain platform, and GemFair, a program for artisanal and small-scale miners, initiatives that advanced traceability and responsible sourcing in the diamond industry, De Beers said.
Outside of her work at De Beers, Zerouki served on the boards of the Responsible Jewellery Council and the Jewelers Vigilance Committee and was elected vice president of the World Diamond Council in 2020.
In 2023, she was elected president of WDC—the first woman to hold the position—and will remain in that role until the end of May 2026.
De Beers declined to provide any additional details on Zerouki’s departure, and she could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.
In the press release announcing her departure, Zerouki said, “Being part of De Beers has been an extraordinary journey”.
“I am immensely proud of what we have built together, and deeply grateful for the people and partnerships that have defined these 20 years. I leave with pride in our shared achievements and with excitement for what lies ahead.”
De Beers CEO Al Cook said in the release that Zerouki’s contributions will leave a lasting impact on the diamond industry.
“Feriel has played a pivotal role in establishing and upholding the highest standards of integrity and provenance within De Beers and across the global diamond industry. Her strategic insight and leadership have contributed meaningfully to initiatives that will leave a lasting impact on the sector,” he said.
“We thank her for her contributions and wish her continued success as she embarks on the next chapter of her career.”
Source : National Jeweler
Main image: Feriel Zerouki. (De Beers Group)