Robert Gannicott ceding Dominion Diamond CEO seat

Robert Gannicott, the head of Dominion Diamond Corporation, is returning to the company after a nearly eight-month medical leave of absence but not as CEO.

Brendan Bell, who stepped in as acting chief executive officer during Gannicott's absence, will become CEO proper starting July 31, according to a release issued by the company Monday morning.

Gannicott had stepped away from his roles in November to seek "important" medical treatment and had initially been expected to return in February. He will resume his post as chairman of the board immediately.

It's a busy time for Dominion: the company is in the midst of protractedcontract renegotiations with the Union of Northern Workers, which represents nearly 500 workers at Dominion's Ekati mine. Public hearings related to the environmental assessment of the company's proposed expansion of Ekati have been scheduled for mid-September.

Dominion also owns a stake in the Diavik diamond mine