Okavango Diamond Company Appoints Yoram Dvash as Chairman

By JCK News Desk | August 20, 2026

Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) has appointed Yoram Dvash as chairman of its board, the company announced Aug. 19.

The Botswana government-owned rough diamond marketing company said Dvash (pictured) brings decades of experience in the diamond industry, including leadership positions in diamond manufacturing, trading, and industry organizations.

Dvash founded Dvash Diamonds in 1991 and helped build it into an international diamond manufacturing and trading business. The company said his career has included work across major diamond markets as well as investments in other sectors.

Dvash recently completed a term as president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), where he was involved in initiatives related to innovation, transparency, and industry collaboration. The ODC announcement on LinkedIn also said he founded the GET-Diamonds digital trading platform, which later became the WFDB’s official trading platform.

The new chairman previously served as president of the Israel Diamond Exchange and chairman of the Israel Diamond Institute. ODC said he helped lead reforms and strategic initiatives intended to strengthen governance, competitiveness, and consumer confidence in the diamond sector.

ODC described Dvash’s background as extending beyond the diamond industry into areas including technology, infrastructure, real estate, venture capital, and sustainable growth projects. The company said his international business experience and industry knowledge are expected to contribute to its strategic direction.

In addition to naming Dvash chairman, ODC announced several other board appointments. Michael Moagi Mogopa, Dr. Lesego Molapisi-Conrad, Lesley Bradley, and Pius Komane Molefe were named independent nonexecutive directors. Lalepela Makepe, ODC’s acting managing director, was also named to the board.

ODC is wholly owned by the Botswana government and markets rough diamonds sourced from Botswana. It has access to 30% of Debswana’s run-of-mine production and sells rough diamonds through a market-based online bidding system.

The JCK News Desk uses AI to help research and produce the first draft of articles. This story was then reviewed by staff writer David Blomquist.

(Photo from ODC release via LinkedIn)