De Beers' Rory More O’Ferrall Retiring

Rory More O’Ferrall, De Beers' Director External Affairs, will leaving his post on March 30, having completed 36 years with the company.

More O’Ferrall began his career with the De Beers Group following six years in the British Army, leaving with the rank of Captain. He joined the Central Selling Organisation (CSO) in 1971 as a diamond buyer and spent five years in Outside Buying in Zaire, Sierra Leone, and Antwerp.

Throughout the 70s and 80s, he was in the sales department, responsible in turn for rough diamond sales to Belgium, the U.S., Israel, and the Far East before becoming sales manager and a member of the CSO’s Management Committee in 1986.

In 1989, More O’Ferrall was seconded to South Africa as advisor to the Sales and Corporate Communications Departments before returning to London in 1991 as manager banking liaison, responsible for De Beers contacts with leading banks financing the international diamond industry, a position he held for seven years. He also organized many acclaimed De Beers’ ‘special events’ at that time.

In 1998, he joined the corporate communications department and was appointed Director Corporate Affairs (later Public & Corporate Affairs) on July 1, 2000. He undertook a radical restructuring of the department and redefined its role. In the 2004 reorganization of the De Beers Group, he became Director External Affairs.

As Director External Affairs More O’Ferrall was at the forefront of the development and implementation of the Group’s policy on Conflict Diamonds. He chaired De Beers’ Conflict Diamonds committee, was instrumental in the creation of the World Diamond Council (of which he is a director), and has been actively involved in the Kimberley Process. In parallel with this work, More O’Ferrall has been the primary point of contact for De Beers with the United Nations, the U.S. State, Treasury and Commerce departments, the UK and other national governments, the OECD and a range of non-governmental organizations.

His work for the diamond industry has been marked by Honorary Life Membership of the London Diamond Bourse & Club, Honorary Life Membership of the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) and a “distinguished service” award from the New York Diamond Dealers Club. 

Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman of De Beers, said, “Rory has been an outstanding Ambassador for De Beers and the diamond industry in the international arena, especially in the Kimberley Process. I think it is this particular achievement for which De Beers and the entire diamond industry owe Rory our greatest gratitude.”