Lucara Names Eira Thomas as CEO

RAPAPORT… Eira Thomas has taken over as CEO of Lucara Diamond Corp,
replacing William Lamb, the miner said Sunday.




Thomas (pictured), who has worked in the mining industry for 25 years, is a founder and director of Lucara, and a cofounder and former CEO of
Stornoway Diamond Corporation. Lamb will step down from his position on
the board of directors, but will continue with Lucara in an advisory role.




The change, effective immediately, comes alongside Lucara’s acquisition of Clara
Diamond Solutions, a digital sales platform for rough stones that uses
analytics, cloud technologies and blockchain to modernize the supply chain and
confirm diamond provenance from mine to finger. Lucara has bought the company —
of which Thomas was a shareholder — for about $23 million (CAD 29
million) in Lucara shares, according to a separate statement Sunday.




“Clara will not only modernize the entire diamond sales
process, but unlock additional value for all participants across the diamond
market,” said Lukas Lundin, chairman of Lucara. “Given Eira’s deep
understanding of our business and her relationships across the diamond world,
she is uniquely positioned to lead both Lucara’s operating business and this
exciting new initiative.”




Lucara’s revenue and profit fell in 2017, largely
due to a drop in sales of exceptional diamonds. Lucara’s share price has fallen 30%
since December 30, 2016.