CEO Eira Thomas\u00a0oversees the technologic game-changers surging for\u00a0Lucara Diamond Corp., a $220 million company.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
When Eira Thomas was appointed CEO of Lucara Diamond Corp. in February, it was a homecoming of sorts.<\/p>\n
Thomas, who boasts 25 years\u2019 experience in the mining industry and was previously CEO of Kaminak Gold Corp., had not only served on the board of directors of Lucara since 2009, but was also one of the founders of the company.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe CEO role at Lucara came along at the perfect time in my career,\u201d she says, \u201chaving sold my gold company, I was looking for new opportunities. The outgoing CEO, William Lamb, had made a decision to retire, and it was an opportunity to get more involved in the company that I had helped found ten years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucara Diamond Corp. is a diamond exploration and mining company, established in Canada but which operates exclusively in Botswana through its Karowe mine, where, in November 2015, the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, the world\u2019s second largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered, was extracted.<\/p>\n
In 2017, the company enjoyed revenues of over $220 million and is currently looking towards both technology and fresh management ideas to take itself forward.<\/p>\n
With its recent acquisition of Clara Diamond Solutions, for example, Lucara is looking to develop a secure, digital, cloud-based sales platform for diamonds, which the company hopes to roll out by the fourth quarter of this year and which Thomas believes could be a game changer in the industry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
\u201cLucara is the world\u2019s foremost producer of large high-value gem-quality diamonds (…) Karowe is a high-margin mine, we have no debt, and the company pays a healthy dividend. Going forward, we want to use this solid platform to explore new avenues for growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Karowe mine, located in north-central Botswana in southern Africa on the fringe of the Kalahari desert, is a hard rock, open-pit diamond mine, 324 meters in depth, which is 100% owned by Lucara Diamond Corp. and will operate until at least 2026. Yet, while the project has already reaped considerable fruit, Thomas says the company has plans to develop the mine even further, employing technology that is at the cutting edge of the mining industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in the process of completing a study examining the potential for expanding the mine underground, to extend its life from 2026 to 2036. We completed a positive preliminary economic assessment in 2017 and launched a formal feasibility study earlier this year, which is expected to complete in early 2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
According to Thomas, these plans are unfolding at a clip despite a number of hurdles the company has faced over the past eighteen months, including equipment availability issues related to the completion of a major waste stripping campaign to access the ore body for open pit mining between 2019 and 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce we have completed the waste removal campaign, our strip ratio will reduce and our costs will go down, ultimately leading to improved margins for the remaining open pit mine life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
Name:<\/strong> Eira Thomas<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/li> Company:\u00a0<\/strong>Lucara Diamond Corp.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Position:\u00a0<\/strong>CEO<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> HQ:\u00a0<\/strong>Vancouver, CAN<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Revenue:\u00a0<\/strong>$220.8 million (2017)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Employees:\u00a0<\/strong>238 direct 631 Indirect (2017)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Stock:\u00a0<\/strong>TSX: LUC<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul>