Debmarine Namibia, De Beers’ joint venture with the government in the southern African nation, has promoted chief financial officer Willy Mertens to CEO.
Mertens will take over on November 1 from Otto Shikongo, who is retiring from Debmarine Namibia at the end of this year after leading the business since 2014, the company said Thursday.
De Beers and the state each own 50% of Debmarine Namibia, which extracts diamonds off the country’s coast. Production rose 73% year on year to 863,000 carats in the first half of 2022 as the new Benguela Gem mining vessel came into operation.
In his current role, Mertens oversees accountability issues for Namdeb Holdings, Debmarine Namibia’s parent company. He is a chartered accountant with more than 20 years of experience in the corporate world.
“Not only does Mr. Mertens have a deep understanding of our business, he also has an acute appreciation of the strategic role of Debmarine Namibia within the broader context of Namibia,” said Debmarine Namibia board chairman Ndeulipula Hamutumwa.
Image: Willy Mertens. (De Beers)
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