Guy Leymarie, CEO of De Beers Diamond Jewellers, a joint venture between De Beers and LVMH, has announced his intention to step down from the position, as his contract finishes on 1st January 2010, to pursue other interest. Mr Leymarie has, since 2004, led De Beers Diamond Jewellers through a dynamic and focused expansion.
Today De Beers has over 40 stores in world’s major cities and has established a strong luxury diamond jewelry franchise in the USA, Japan and the UK.
He will be succeeded by François Delage who, for the last 2 years, has been leading the launch of Forevermark, a De Beers Group initiative. Prior to this, he was President of Louis Vuitton Asia-Pacific, based in Hong Kong.
François Delage
Commenting on the announcement, Gareth Penny, Chairman of De Beers Diamond Jewellers said, “On behalf of both LVMH and De Beers, we wish to thank Guy Leymarie for his commitment and leadership in establishing De Beers Diamond Jewellers as a global player. We are pleased to have someone of François’ unique diamond and luxury retail experience in place to take De Beers Diamond Jewellers into its next phase of development. François will work together with Guy over the coming months to ensure a seamless transition.”
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