Element Six has appointed De Beers Group CEO Philippe Mellier as chairman. Mellier joined De Beers in July 2011, and has since overseen a strategic review of the business and its integration into the Anglo American Group. Anglo American acquired the Oppenheimer family’s 40 per cent shareholding in De Beers in August 2012, bringing its shareholding in De Beers to 85 per cent.
Prior to joining De Beers, Mellier was president of Alstom Transport and executive vice president of Alstom s.a. As the leader of one of the world’s largest infrastructure and transport businesses, Mellier was committed to developing a culture of innovation and investment in R&D, and earned a strong reputation for manufacturing excellence; delivering large capital projects, working with partners and opening new markets. Prior to Alstom, Mellier held a number of senior executive positions in the automotive industry, a critical end user of a number of Element Six products.
Mellier commented: 'Element Six is a global leader in its sector and a fascinating business, with exciting potential for growth. I look forward to working with the strong management team already in place to service our clients, open new markets and develop innovative uses for synthetic diamond supermaterials.'
