Petra Diamonds Appoints Vivek Gadodia and Juan Kemp as Joint CEOs, Enhances Board Structure

Petra Diamonds has formally appointed Vivek Gadodia and Juan Kemp as joint CEOs, following shareholder approval at the annual general meeting on November 27. The two have been serving as interim joint CEOs since February and will now continue in these positions permanently. Under the new leadership structure, Gadodia will oversee corporate strategy, while Kemp will manage the company’s mining operations, with both providing regular updates to the board.

“We have spent the past nine months reshaping Petra into a more efficient and resilient organisation through its refinancing process. Our priority now is to steer the company ahead by advancing our expansion projects and creating value for stakeholders in the near and medium term,” the leaders said.

The company has also strengthened and reorganised its board. Kushal Kumar, a finance expert with over three decades of global experience in corporate banking, investment management, and credit markets, has joined as a nonexecutive director. Lerato Molebatsi has been named senior independent nonexecutive director, and José Manuel Vargas will take over as chair of the remuneration and nomination committees. All changes are effective immediately.

Meanwhile, Alex Watson, board observer, and Bernard Pryor, senior nonexecutive director and former chair of the nomination committee, have stepped down from their roles.