Buckley Kayel will report directly to DPA CEO Jean-Marc Lieberherr and represent the DPA in local trades and organisations within North America.
She will focus on pushing the DPA's "Real is Rare. Real is a Diamond" message as lab-grown diamonds gain more prominence.
Buckley Kayel has spent the past 10 years leading marketing and communications in the Americas for French jewellery brand, Van Cleef & Arpels, where she also served on the executive committee responsible for steering overall corporate strategy.
The DPA said her experience in strategic marketing, communications and digital leadership roles made her well-placed to spearhead the association's mission to restore, protect and promote the integrity and reputation of natural diamonds, especially among the younger US consumer base, which was the largest market globally in terms of diamond demand.
