⚰️Philippe Mellier, The Outsider Who Shaped De Beers, Has Died

Philippe Mellier, theFrench auto executive who was the first outsider to head De Beers, serving as its CEO from 2011 to 2016, died on July 8. He was 69.

Mellier originallytrained to be a mechanical engineer, but discovered he preferred the world of business. After receiving an MBA from INSEAD business school in Fontainebleau,
France, he had to choose between working at a consultancy or at Ford Motor Co.
In a 2015 Financial Times interview, he recalled leaning toward the consultant job—then considered a “goldenpath” to success—until a Ford executive bluntly upbraided him.

“He said, ‘How canyou pretend to give advice as a consultant when you have never worked before? It is a joke. Come and learn, and after that you can become a consultant when
you want to,'” Mellier told the FT. “I thought about it for a fewdays and I thought that he was maybe right.”

Mellier rose tobecome Ford’s European vice president of marketing, sales, and services. In
2000, he was named chairman and CEO of Renault Trucks. Four years later, he
became president of Alstom Transport, a manufacturer of systems and equipment
for railway companies—which, he would occasionally point out, had higher
revenue than De Beers.

In 2011, De Beers’ then chairman Nicky Oppenheimer tapped Mellier to lead thegem giant, making him the first person without a diamond background to head the
company. (Current CEO Al Cook is the second.) Oppenheimer said he wanted someone who would view the business with a “fresh pair ofeyes.”

Mellier generatedconsistent profits for De Beers during his tenure, even as sightholders
complained they were being squeezed. Like all De Beers CEOs, his tenure was
marked by a series of shocks and changes, including the Oppenheimer family’s
decision to sell its shares, the relocation of the company’s sales from London
to Botswana, and the settling of De Beers’ antitrust issues in the United
States.

In 2016, Mellier was replaced by Bruce Cleaver. During a final appearance atthat year’s JCK show, Mellier said leading De Beers had been a “privilege.”

Post-De Beers,Mellier returned to the automotive sector. He joined Fraikin, a vehicle leasing
company, in 2018 as chairman. He was later named its CEO.

De Beers tells JCK ina statement: “Philippe led De Beers through a time of big changes—both in the diamond industry and within the company itself, including the transition from
Oppenheimer family management to becoming part of Anglo American. He played a
key role in shaping De Beers with the energy and vision he brought to the
business. He’ll be remembered not only for his leadership but also for his
commitment to De Beers and its people. Our thoughts are with his wife Beatrice,
his family, and friends during this difficult time.”

At press time, nofurther information on survivors was available.