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De Beers Canada’s three-member External and Corporate Affairs team received the Communications Team of the Year Award during the North American Excellence Awards held in New York City on May 16, 2017. The awards program honours outstanding achievements of communications and public relations professionals.
The team was recognized for managing an extensive portfolio of high-profile communications for De Beers in Canada during 2016, including:
Complete business restructuring from coast to coast to coast;
Relocating the company’s corporate presence from Toronto to Calgary to open a new Canadian Operational Support Centre, which also featured more than $1 million in diamond jewelry mined from De Beers Canada operations;
Opening the world’s largest new diamond mine with an event that included more than 200 guests and media from around the world.
The team began the year in two time zones and 4,000kms apart managing all internal and external communications for De Beers Canada and its mines, exploration activities, projects and special events.
“We are extremely proud to receive this award because it recognizes the incredible body of professional communications work needed to provide the support necessary for the success of the company’s innovative wide-scale transformation, of course anchored by the world-class achievement of the Gahcho Kué Mine opening,” said Tom Ormsby, Head of External & Corporate Affairs. “As part of the world’s leading diamond company, our team is fortunate to be involved in so many different experiences across the diamond pipeline, whether unique to Canada or by collaborating with our colleagues around the world.”
Although small, the team developed more than 25 internal and external communications projects during 2016, all while the team itself was restructuring and relocating from across the country to continue their roles at the Calgary Operational Support Centre. De Beers’ entry was among 2,500 received from across North America for consideration in 32 categories. The North American Awards are hosted by Communication Director, the magazine for corporate communications and public relations, and is part of a worldwide awards program, with similar events in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America.