Speaker > Biography

Stephen Lussier

Executive Director
External and Corporate
De Beers

Stephen Lussier is the De Beers Executive Director, External and Corporate Affairs and sits on the main Group Executive Committee.  He is also Chairman of De Beers Botswana and De Beers Namibia.

He was born on 18 December 1957 in Boston, Massachusetts and is the son of Dr and Mrs Leon W Lussier.  He earned his BA from Boston College and MBA from Columbia University in New York.

He joined the advertising agency, NW Ayer, in New York in 1981.

He joined the Consumer Marketing Division in London in 1985 as the Market Controller for the US and Canada.  Served as Market Controller for Japan from 1989-1991 and Regional Director for the Asia-Pacific Region from 1991, assuming international responsibility in June 1993 for the old Consumer and Marketing Division.  He was made a DTC Director in 1995 and appointed to the DTC Executive Committee in 2002, and appointed as Deputy to the DTC Managing Director in 2004.  In September 2005, he was appointed to his current position as De Beers Executive Director, External and Corporate Affairs.

Achievements

Particular achievements as Worldwide Marketing Director include:

• Opening up and building of the China market into a $1.5 billion retail market.
  
• Opening up and building of the domestic Indian market into a $1.1 billion retail market.
  Building of the global Trilogy campaign which has fuelled growth in the worldwide diamond market from the U.S. to
• Japan and is a segment which now is worth some $3 billion.
  Conceived and implemented the Millennium programme which generated over $3 billion in diamond jewellery sales worldwide.
  
• Architect, with Gareth Penny, of the DTC ‘Supplier of Choice’ programme which has led to the transformation of the global diamond industry and reinvigorated growth in the sector.

Particular achievements as Executive Director:

• Developed and drove across the group of companies the De Beers’ Purpose, Vision, Values and Principles and put in place an externally audited assurance programme.
  
• Developed the first De Beers’ report to stakeholders highlighting in detail the activity of De Beers as it impacts ethics, environment, community, economics and employees fully compliant with the UN Global Compact.