Sheila Khama, chief executive of the Botswana division of De Beers diamond mining company, will serve as keynote speaker for Livingstone College’s May 3 commencement.
The college’s 126th commencement starts at 10 a.m. next Saturday at the campus at 701 W. Monroe St.
The college will hold its Baccalaureate Service at 7 p.m. Friday in the James Varick Auditorium.
Khama is the chief executive officer of De Beers Botswana, the representative office of the De Beers Family of Companies in Botswana. Born and raised in Botswana, Khama obtained a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Botswana and completed an MBA degree at the University of Edinburgh.
As chief executive of De Beers Botswana, Khama is part of the De Beers Group’s global external affairs team reporting to the group director for external and corporate affairs. She serves as a non-executive director to a number of De Beers Group companies, including De Beers Botswana, Debswana Diamond Company, De Beers Prospecting Botswana, Botswana Diamond Valuing Company, Botswana Ash, Gope Exploration Company, to name a few.
Khama has extensive experience in the public and private sectors in Botswana, though her work has focused in compliance, corporate affairs and reputation management.
Khama joined the Anglo American Corp. subsidiary in Botswana as group secretary in 1994 and served in this capacity for eight years.
As compliance officer, she provided services to up to 20 Anglo-American Corporation and De Beers Group subsidiaries in Botswana until the executive management of the group was separated in 1998 when she transferred to De Beers Botswana.
During a three-year absence between 2002 and 2005, she worked as a member of the executive team of First National Bank of Botswana Ltd., where she was responsible for marketing and communication.