Diamond miner Petra Diamonds has announced the appointment of three new nonexecutive directors, effective immediately.

Deborah Gudgeon has been appointed independent nonexecutive director and chair-designate of the Audit & Risk Committee.

She is also an independent nonexecutive director of natural resources and industrial group Evraz and chair of its Audit.

She holds a BSc in Political Science and Government from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Gudgeon will serve on Petra’s Nominations, Audit & Risk, Remuneration and Investment Committees. She is a British citizen.

Alexandra Watson has been appointed nonexecutive director.

She is Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Cape Town (UCT), the lead independent nonexecutive director and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Coronation Fund Managers in South Africa and is independent nonexecutive director and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Steinhoff International.

Watson holds a BCom degree from UCT and is a qualified chartered accountant.

A South African citizen, she will serve on Petra’s Social, Ethics and Diversity, and Investment Committees.

Johannes Bhatt has been appointed nonexecutive director, having been nominated by Monarch Master Funding 2.

He is currently MD of Incomet Capital, an investment company within the mining sector, and a board member of Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine, formerly part of the Cronimet Mining Group.

Bhatt studied Economics at the University of Augsburg and holds an MBA from the University of Stuttgart.

A German citizen, he will serve on Petra’s Investment and Health, Safety and Environment Committees.

“I would like to welcome Deborah, Alex and Johannes to the board of Petra; together, they bring a wealth of experience, complementing those of our existing directors, and their appointments leave the board well placed to take the company forward,” Petra nonexecutive chairperson Peter Hill comments.