Fura Appoints Key Executives in Marketing, Sales and Colombian Operations

Fura Gems Inc., a gemstone mining and marketing company that has started operating in India early October 2017, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rupak Sen as Vice President – Marketing and Sales and Armando Diaz as Project Manager – Colombia. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada and administrative headquarters in Almas Tower, Dubai, Fura Gems Inc. is engaged in the mining, exploration and marketing of gemstones.

Sen, Vice President – Marketing and Sales, will be based in Fura’s administrative headquarters in Dubai. Sen will report directly to the President & CEO of the Company and will be responsible for global marketing, communications and sales of rough gemstones.

Prior to joining Fura, Sen was acting global Director of marketing & polished sales and marketing & sales director, Asia at Gemfields plc. During his 9-year stint with Gemfields, Sen was instrumental in implementing the ‘mines and market’ strategy in Asia. Sen was responsible for overall advertising, public relations, sponsorships, research, co-branding, co-marketing, education and training in his territory. Prior to working with Gemfields, Sen, with his strategic and operational skills, oversaw the launch and growth of various brands in Asia. Sen worked for companies like De Beers (Diamond Promotion Service), Swatch Group, DTC sight holder and one of Rio Tinto’s largest client’s D Navinchandra& Co... Sen has a Bachelors in Business Administration and Economics from India.

Diaz, Project Manager – Colombia, will be responsible for the development of the Coscuez mine, Fura’s flagship operating emerald mine in Colombia. Diaz will report directly to the Vice President - Operations of the Company and will be responsible for strategic planning, overall development of the mine, implementation of the sustainability framework and communication with the local community. Diaz has over 30 years of experience in both underground and open cast mining operations. Prior to joining Fura, Diaz worked with Gemfields plc in Colombia as a project manager and was responsible for the evaluation and acquisition of new emerald mines in both the operating and exploration stages. Diaz has previously held several senior positions in the mining industry and has developed underground and open cast mines in South America, Asia and Africa. Diaz has previously worked as an Operations Manager for the underground mines in India for Hindustan Zinc Ltd, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources plc, the Kansanshi open-pit mine for First Quantum, the underground operation for Mopani, a subsidiary of Glencore plc and various underground projects in South America consisting of copper, lead, zinc and gold commodities. Diaz graduated as a mining engineer from the National University of Engineering UNI, Peru and has a Master’s in Business Administration from San Ignacio de Loyola University, Peru and a diploma in Project Management-PM from the University of Pennsylvania.

Commenting on the appointments, Dev Shetty, President & CEO of Fura, said, "We are pleased to welcome Rupak Sen to the Fura team, who is undoubtedly one of the best and well-respected marketing executives in the world in the gemstone industry. Sen’s appointment follows the appointment of Ashim Roy, one of the best coloured gemstone geologist's in the world, as Fura’s Vice President – Operations. Fura now has two experienced and knowledgeable executives heading its key segments: mine and market, respectively. We are also delighted to welcome Armando Diaz who will be responsible for developing the iconic Coscuez emerald mine. Armando’s experience in South America, and more particularly Colombia, and underground mining operations, especially in a narrow vein environment, will be a great addition to the team. Having worked with Sen and Diaz in the past and seen their passion and commitment, I am confident that they will bring immense value to Fura’s business. We will continue to further strengthen the team by bringing the best talent to the business.”

Fura recently announced the acquisition of the iconic emerald mine in Colombia, Coscuez. The company has also entered into a purchase agreement to enter the exploration and mining of rubies in Mozambique through the proposed acquisition of an 80 per cent effective interest in four ruby licences and the submission of an application for an additional ruby licences.