Blackie Marole is the current Managing Director of Debswana Diamond Company (since October 2004).
Blackie Marole was born in Semolale, Bobirwa Sub-District, in 1955.

Education
Marole holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in economics, having studied at the University of Botswana as well as at the Williams College, Massachusetts.

Career
Marole started his career as an Assistant Economist in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications in June 1979.
His unique perspective of the diamond industry has been gained through his seven-year tenure as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Affairs.
During this time, he was intimately involved with the formulation of policy impacting on the industry, which is Botswana’s primary producer of wealth.
After leaving government for the position of Executive Director of the Diamond Trading Centre in 2000, he spent two years coordinating the company’s Executive Committee affairs, controlling staff development programmes and overseeing the company’s involvement with Kimberley Process as well as external relations generally in Southern Africa.

Mr. Marole was the De Beers manager responsible for producer relations in Johannesburg, South Africa, and consequently he was appointed Managing Director of Debswana Diamond Company in October 2004.

A current Chairman of Barclays Bank, Botswana, Mr. Marole also chairs the Board of PEEPA which was created to advise government on the privatisation exercise.