Dr. Freeman is a specialist in large Type II diamonds and has over 25 years of experience in the mining industry, with a strong background in mineral resource estimation, diamond value management, diamond pricing, geological modelling, and strategic mine planning.

She has held senior roles at several diamond mining and resource consulting companies, where she led teams responsible for resource definition and underground expansion projects.

In her new role, Dr. Freeman will oversee all aspects of mineral resource management for Lucara’s flagship Karowe mine in Botswana and will contribute to the company’s overall development strategy.

William Lamb, president and CEO of Lucara, said: “We are delighted to welcome Lauren to the Lucara team. Her extensive experience and technical expertise in mineral resource management will be invaluable as we continue to optimize diamond recovery from our Karowe mine and develop our mine and ore extraction plan for our underground project.

“Lauren’s leadership will be crucial in maximising value from our resource base, while supporting our long-term strategic objectives.”

Dr. Freeman has a PhD in Economic Geology and a GDE in Mining Engineering, both from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and is a registered Professional Natural Scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions.

Lucara is a leading independent producer of large exceptional quality Type IIa diamonds from its 100% owned Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana.

The Karowe Mine has been in production since 2012 and is the focus of the company’s operations and development activities.