JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – TSX- and NYSE-listed diamond miner Dominion Diamond Corporation’s chairperson and CEO, Robert Gannicott, has been granted a medical leave of absence to undergo important treatment, which is expected to continue until mid-February next year.

Dominion Diamond has interests in two major producing diamond mines, Ekati and Diavik, in the Northwest Territories, in Canada.

The company announced on Thursday that while Gannicott was undergoing treatment, current lead director and long-standing board member Dan Jarvis would assume the role of acting chairperson and would be supported in this role by audit committee chairperson Ollie Oliveira, who had extensive experience in the diamond mining industry.

During this period, Dominion Diamond executive VP Brendan Bell would assume the role of acting CEO and would be supported in this role by the appointment of Elliot Holland as VP responsible for the Jay project and business development. 

“The appointment of Holland will be instrumental as the company continues to advance the Jay project which, beyond Misery and Pigeon, represents the future at Ekati,” Dominion Diamond highlighted.

Prior to joining Dominion, Holland was a partner at McKinsey & Company serving mining clients, including diamond mines, on operations, strategy and capital projects. He holds a BSE in civil and environmental engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Dominion Diamond operates the Ekati diamond mine through its 88.9% ownership as well as a 65.3% ownership in the surrounding areas containing additional resources. The company also owns 40% of the Diavik diamond mine. It supplies rough diamonds to the global market through its sorting and selling operations in Canada, Belgium and India, and is the world's third largest producer of rough diamonds by value.