Anthony Peter, Director, Trans Atlantic Gem Sales (TAGS)
Diamonds play an illustrious role in the United Arab Emirates’ heritage as a gateway for global trade. The UAE diamond industry is truly flourishing as the emirate continues to maintain its leading position as one of the world’s largest rough diamond trading hubs. Playing a vital role in the growth story of the region, many Emirati business leaders are coming up with innovative solutions for adding value and improving efficiency and profitability in various sectors of the diamond business. With a broad knowledge base,deep industry experience, and profound leadership skills, these entrepreneurs are creating a ripple in the industry while inspiring countless others with their drive, perseverance, and commitment. One such exemplary entrepreneur who is revolutionizing the sales and distribution model for rough diamonds in the UAE and impeccably contributing to shaping UAE into a leading global rough diamond trading hub is Anthony Peter, the Founder and Director of Trans Atlantic Gem Sales (TAGS).
Raised in Schweizer Reneke, a town close to the heart of the South African diamond industry, Kimberley, Anthony became fascinated with diamonds from a very young age. As a child, he loved visiting the diamond fields after school along with his father who was himself involved with the mining of diamonds, and he was quickly smitten by the fascinating and unique gem. This unwavering passion for diamonds further led his way to venture into the diamond industry and establish Trans Atlantic Gem Sales (TAGS).
A World Leading Rough Diamond Sales Solution
Today, TAGS stands tall as a world-leading rough diamond tender and auction house. Combining its deep industry experience and an advanced technology-based platform, TAGS provides a transparent, innovative, and effective solution for the sale of rough diamonds. Backed by a specialist team of highly experienced professionals with a unique blend of skills in rough diamond sales, diamond handling, systems integration, and online negotiation expertise, the company has been able to develop close professional relationships with the leading buyers and manufacturers from around the world. “We are familiar with the precise rough requirements of our clients and in many cases, we visited their manufacturing operations and have a good understanding of their downstream customer requirements. This allows us the advantage of maintaining regular dialogue and presenting the precise goods they require to maximize both the efficiency of funds employed while presenting the rough most aligned to their polished requirements at any given time,” asserts Anthony.
Keeping Communication at the Core
Under the assiduous leadership of Anthony, today TAGS has come a long way since its inception. However, its journey to success was not without any challenges. One of the major challenges for the company was to keep up with the constantly evolving sector and attain business objectives on an ongoing basis. “There are multiple measures of ‘success’ in business, but in a business such as ours which operates in a constantly changing environment, an important measure of success is the achievement of business targets which are set by management on an ongoing basis,” affirms Anthony.
As a company situated midway in the pipeline, the working environment at TAGS is impacted by events from the consumer end of the market right back to changes at a diamond mining level. Therefore, numerous situations can impact the environment in which it operates. TAGS is successfully navigating these challenges through effective communication. As a leader of the company, Anthony strives to communicate with his managerial staff, and both upstream and downstream partners on a daily basis to get a better understanding of the market and perform at an optimal level while driving a maximum return for the company and its stakeholders. “By fully understanding the constantly evolving challenges within our business, we are better placed to make timely and wise decisions to remain competitive and develop and grow the business further,” elucidates Anthony.
Key Traits That Distinguish the Business Leader
While it takes several traits to be a good leader, for Anthony, the most important trait of a leader is the ability to maintain high ethical standards. “This not only gives confidence to those with whom I conduct business but also inspires those around me to adhere to a strong moral code which is critical in business,” opines Anthony.
Besides this, the ingenious leader also emphasizes on effective communication, self-confidence, strong self-motivation, and passion for what you are trying to achieve, along with a clear vision of where you want to be in business. “All these qualities are crucial to driving success and showing effective leadership. Leaders need to never lose sight of their targets and maintain the drive to achieve their goals,” adds Anthony.
In his precious advice to budding entrepreneurs, Anthony urges them to fully understand their subject, have a willingness to learn, and always maintain an enquiring mind. He also encourages them to be persistent and innovative and, most importantly work hard to achieve their goals.
Poised To Be a Leading Force in the Rough Diamond Marketing Business
Trans Atlantic Gem Sales, in its current form, has been operating in Dubai since 2017. And, within this short span of time, its rough diamond tender offering increased sizably from around US$ 3 million to approximately US$ 50 million. In fact, it was the first international tender house to recognize the potential of Dubai. But not resting on its laurel, the company aspires to further enhance its services and take on several interesting projects which will foster its growth and further position the company as a leading force in the rough diamond marketing business. “I take great satisfaction from seeing our journey to date and am excited to see where we can take things in the future. I am sure that our contribution will not only benefit my company but will continue to establish Dubai as the world’s number one ‘diamond destination’,” concludes Anthony.
