Jean-Marc Lieberherr will fill the position on 1 September. He has been with Rio Tinto Diamonds since 2005, his most recent position was chief commercial officer for the division.
The appointment was made as part of a reorganisation, resulting from the company’s decision earlier this year to retain its diamonds unit. As reported previously by Jeweller, Rio Tinto investigated a number of ownership options, including divestment, before opting to keep the business.
The restructure also involved the consolidation of its diamond mining operations, which was headed by Kim Truter. Truter will now become chief operating officer for the diamonds business, reporting to Lieberherr. He is also managing director of the Argyle Diamond Mine and was previously president of Rio Tinto’s Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada, in which the company owns a 60 per cent stake.
Rio Tinto’s other diamond businesses include a 78 per cent interest in the Murowa mine in Zimbabwe and full ownership of the Bunder project in India.
The division has recorded a 47 per cent increase in diamond production for the second quarter of 2013, largely due to the rise in the number and grade of diamonds processed at its Australian Argyle mine.
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