Before being named CEO of DeBeers in 2011, Philippe Mellier was Executive VP of the Alstom Group. He immediately steered the company’s rough stone sorting work toward a new location – Botswana. This marks its first step of its transfer from London to Gaborone. According to Mellier, this should be complete by 2013. The idea behind Mellier’s move is to “transform Botswana into a leading international centre, with about $6 billion worth of diamonds expected to flow through the country.” While he recognized short-term challenges in the diamond market, it remains “an exciting time” for Botswana to strengthen its rightful position as a leading diamond-producing country.