James Nicholson
Corporate Citizenship, London
I work for the De Beers Group Corporate Citizenship unit, part of the External and Corporate Affairs team based in London. I report to Dr James Suzman, Head of Corporate Citizenship and a former lecturer in Anthropology at Cambridge University.
On leaving university where I studied Management and Organisation Studies I joined the Diamond Trading Company as a graduate trainee diamond sorter in 2001.
Once I’d gained a broad insight into rough diamonds and the diamond value chain, I progressed to Mineral Resource Management and then Producer Relations before moving to the External and Corporate Affairs department in 2003.
The shift from the diamond floors to a more typical office role was significant, and while I don’t foresee the day when I might pick up my hand loupe and return to sorting again I remain completely fascinated by rough diamonds.
Diamonds are awe inspiring and are a common bond between the millions of people who depend on them for their livelihoods, and those who are lucky enough to give or receive them.
My time at De Beers has been both enjoyable and incredibly varied. Most recently, I’ve managed the publication of the 2007 De Beers Group ‘Report to Society’ - ‘Living up to diamonds’, which documents the De Beers commitment to accountability and to report publicly on the contribution it makes towards sustainable development.
The document talks right to the heart of issues material to business and stakeholders alike and most importantly gives stakeholders the chance to publicly comment on how they feel we are performing against expectations.
In 2005, I worked with the World Diamond Council during the Kimberley Process negotiations in Moscow.
The Kimberley Process seeks to address the issue of conflict diamonds and represents a cross sector partnership in the truest sense – governments, industry and civil society all working together to bring a permanent end to conflict diamonds. Being part of this movement has been truly fascinating.
I had the most fortunate experience to be a part of the Diamond Development Initiative in its early formation working in Sierra Leone, Ghana and Tanzania.
The Diamond Development Initiative represents a unique effort to bring interested parties together to create a regulatory and developmental environment in which rough diamonds can be mined and distributed for the benefit of artisanal miners, local communities, local governments, and the wider international diamond industry.
In my experience few countries are as stunning as Sierra Leone – there is a real energy and feeling of hope in the country and it is crucial that the diamond industry, in partnership with key stakeholders, plays a constructive role in its future.
Whether 800 meters below ground, working in some of the world’s most stunning locations or handling diamonds themselves nothing has been more rewarding than in interacting with the incredibly diverse, professional and committed team of people that make up the De Beers Family of Companies.