Policies & Issues

Alrosa USA’s Rebecca Foerster Resigns as Diamonds Do Good President

Policies & IssuesMar 09, 2022

Alrosa USA’s Rebecca Foerster Resigns as Diamonds Do Good President

Immediate Past President Anna Martin will step back into the role.

New York—Rebecca Foerster, president of Alrosa USA, has resigned as president and board member of Diamonds Do Good, effective immediately.

Immediate Past President Anna Martin will step back into the role until the next board elections, DDG confirmed.

Formerly known as the Diamond Empowerment Fund, Diamonds Do Good is a nonprofit organization inspired by Nelson Mandela and created to tell the stories about the positive impact of diamonds in Southern Africa.

In a statement about Foerster’s resignation, the DDG board of directors thanked her for her commitment to the organization and its beneficiaries and for always putting its mission first.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Alrosa and its CEO were sanctioned by the U.S. government.

While the sanctions are not a direct block on Russian diamonds or gold, they, along with continuing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements, effectively prevent U.S. companies from legally—and responsibly—sourcing materials from those countries, Jewelers of America noted in an alert to members.

Following the sanctions and in the wake of the ongoing invasion, Alrosa has voluntarily stepped down as vice chair of the Responsible Jewellery Council and suspended both its Natural Diamond Council membership and financial contributions to the organization.

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