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NDTC appoints new CEO

The Namibia Diamond Trading Company (NDTC) board has announced the retirement of Shihaleni Ellis Ndjaba as CEO.

Ndjaba retired at the end of December last year, following 11 years of dedicated service to the NDTC.

He is succeeded by Brent Eiseb, who previously served the diamond trading company at strategic level as senior manager for sales and marketing. Eiseb’s appointment is effective from 1 January 2019.

Ndjaba previously served as director of operations in the ministry of fisheries and then as deputy permanent secretary in the finance ministry. He was later appointed as works and transport PS in 2005.

In the same year he made his debut in the diamond industry when he was tasked to lead the government team that negotiated the sales agreement with the De Beers Group - an agreement that paved the way for the establishment of NDTC, amongst other key developments that supported further development in the diamond industry.

Ndjaba briefly served as the NDTC’s first board chairperson in 2007 and was later appointed as the pioneering CEO in 2008. He has overseen the establishment of the NDTC and its growth over 11 years, directly impacting the expansion of the manufacturing industry and realising downstream beneficiation.

The Namibian diamond sector has seen significant improvements in a number of key areas such as skills development and technology, helping positioning it for a successful future.

Eiseb started at the De Beers Group 23 years ago when he joined as a trainee sorter. After completing 12 months of on-the-job training, Eiseb joined the rough diamond division and occupied a variety of roles over the next few years.

During this time, Eiseb took up a secondment in the De Beers UK office that laid the foundation for what would become his deep-rooted passion for diamonds.

After spending 10 years in the rough diamond division, he joined the sales team in London as a trainee key account manager. He was able to complete what was initially a 24-month training programme in 12 months and returned to Namibia in December 2007 to take up the role of key account manager.

In April 2010 Eiseb took up the role of head of sales and marketing at the NDTC. After the migration of sales from London to Botswana, he relocated to Gaborone to take up the role of vice-president sales Eastern Hemisphere for De Beers Global Sightholder sales, and was responsible for leading the key accounts management teams for the Indian and the Far East markets.

Eiseb returned to Namibia in May 2016 to take up the role of senior manager sales and marketing at the NDTC and was instrumental in the successful implementation of the new Namibian sorting, valuing, sales and marketing agreement.

He was one of the key individuals instrumental in driving the Namibian beneficiation and sales functions.

“The NDTC board of directors thanks Mr Ndjaba for his remarkable contribution to the NDTC’s continued success. I wish him a wonderful and restful retirement. And equally congratulate Mr Brent Eiseb on his new role and wish him well as he takes on the leadership of the NDTC,” said Paul Rowley, the NDTC board chairperson.