Company
Leadership

Namakwa Diamonds Support Team

Robert Cowley - Group CEORobert Cowley
Group Chief Executive Officer
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  • Robert joined Namakwa Diamonds in August 2013.
  • He is a Chartered Accountant and has 18 years of experience in the mining industry.
  • He was previously with Harmony Gold for seven years, holding various management portfolios.
  • Robert was a business consultant to the Mining Industry for seven years.
  • Prior to his appointment as Group Chief Executive Officer, Robert headed up the finance and risk functions of Namakwa Diamonds as Chief Financial Officer and has integral experience of all aspects of the operations.
Morne Maree - Legal AffairsMorné Maree
Legal Affairs Officer
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  • Morné has been working with Namakwa Diamonds since 2012.
  • He is responsible for legal and corporate affairs for Namakwa and related companies.
  • Morné holds B Proc., LLB and LLM degrees.
  • He is an admitted attorney in South Africa and Lesotho, and a partner at Webbers in South Africa and Webber Newdigate Attorneys in Lesotho.
  • Morné is a practicing attorney and has worked as a specialist on corporate and commercial transactions in Lesotho across various sectors.
  • Has been working in the diamond mining industry in Lesotho since 2008.
Pierre Fourie - Strategic Consultant Pierre Fourie
Strategic Consultant
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  • Pierre Fourie has an extensive career of over 30 years as a Mining Engineer and Chief Executive Officer in the areas of Mining, Information Technology and Corporate Development.
  • His specific skills include business development; business optimisation and strategy; people management and development; mineral economics; mine optimisation, construction and operation; programming; IT infrastructure; resource/reserve estimation and financial modelling.
  • Pierre worked for Anglo American as Mining Engineer and then started an Engineering Consulting Company which he expanded from Johannesburg South Africa to London UK, Perth Australia, Vancouver Canada and Santiago Chile. After selling his consulting company he acted as CEO of engineering firm DRA Americas and then Head of Mining for Namakwa Diamonds. In his role as CEO he managed a reverse takeover and subsequent London listing of GS Technologies Ltd, an Information and Telecommunication Infrastructure company.
  • Pierre is currently the Lead Engineer Strategy and Planning for Namakwa diamonds.
  • In addition to his career experience, Pierre holds BEng(mining) and BCompt degrees.
  • Pierre is a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).
Dr John Ward - Mineral Resources ManagerDr John Ward
Mineral Resources Consultant
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  • John holds a Doctorate in Geology (PhD from now UKZN) and has worked in c. 26 countries, 20 of which were in Africa, mainly on alluvial and kimberlite diamond projects ranging from greenfields exploration through to large-scale production operations.
  • Apart from consulting, John has also worked for a major, and two junior diamond companies and has received two medals for his contribution to academic and economic geology in southern Africa.
  • He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa, a Life Member of SASQUA and the Geological Society of Namibia and a SAMREC Competent Person in primary and secondary diamond deposits.
Debbie Bowen - Marketing ManagerDebbie Bowen
Marketing Manager
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  • Debbie joined Namakwa Diamonds in 2011.
  • Previous to Namakwa Diamonds, Debbie held a position at Namdeb (DeBeers Namibia) in the Mineral Resource’s Geo Lab from 1993 to 2004
  • In 2004 Debbie joined Letšeng Diamonds as the Recovery Manager where she and a small team established the Letšeng Recovery and all its processes from start up. Debbie stayed with Letšeng Diamonds until 2011
  • In 2011 Debbie joined Storm Mountain Diamonds (KAO) as the Diamond Resource Manager where she again established the Recovery and all its processes as well as creating a training program and training new Recovery personnel from the local communities in Lesotho. Then in 2014 Debbie accepted the position as the Namakwa Diamonds Group Valuations & Marketing Manager where she still is today
  • Apart from over 28 years practical Recovery, Rough diamond experience and rough diamond related courses, Debbie has a GIA Graduate Diamonds Diploma, GIA Diamond Essentials certificate and is a GIA Alumni Associate.
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