EditorsMay 05, 2026
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WDC Names New Executive Director
De Beers and Rio Tinto veteran Marie-Chantal Kaninda was appointed to the position, succeeding Patricia Syvrud.
New York--The World Diamond Council has named Marie-Chantal Kaninda as its new executive director.
She took the position March 1, succeeding Patricia Syvrud, who became WDC executive director in 2014 following an organizational overhaul. (Syvrud’s hiring marked the first time that a salaried administrator had ever headed the WDC.)
A resident of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she joins the organization with more than 20 years of industry marketing and stakeholder engagement experience, having held positions at companies such as Anglo Fold Ashanti, De Beers and Rio Tinto. She will continuing living in the DRC.
Kaninda is fluent in French and English, and has served as the chair of the Anti-Corruption Initiative for the private sector for the DRC since 2012 as well as the board of directors for the Diamond Development Initiative and Procredit Equity Bank.
“We are thrilled to have someone with Ms. Kaninda’s background and experience take on the role of executive director of the WDC,” President Andrey Polyakov said. “Her perspective will be invaluable to the industry work within the Kimberley Process reform initiative, which will take place this year and next.”
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