Veteran Canadian miner Robert ‘Bob’ Gannicott, Chairman of the Board of Dominion Diamond Corporation from June 2004 until April 2016, passed away on August 3, the Company announced. A statement said that the Company was deeply saddened at his passing after an extended battle with leukemia.

Dominion described Gannicott as a visionary and a pillar of the Canadian diamond industry who had built the Company from a junior mining company to what is it is today as Canada’s largest independent diamond producer.

Brendan Bell, Chief Executive Officer said, “Bob was an exceptional leader as well as a good friend and mentor, he will be deeply missed by all who had the good fortune to work with him and to know him.”

Having been a member of the Board since the Company’s inception as a diamond company in 1992, and its CEO from September 1999 to July 2015, in addition to his responsibility as Chairman, Gannicott led the Company through many phases of growth.

This included the Company’s discovery and founding of the Diavik Diamonds Project in 1994 and 1995, through to the acquisition of the iconic American luxury diamond jewellery brand, Harry Winston, as well as its subsequent acquisition of the Ekati Diamond Mine and sale of Harry Winston.