Chris Blakeslee has experience at Athleta and Alo Yoga. Kendra Scott will remain on board as executive chair and chief visionary officer.
Diamond leaders form body to handle industry issues
The heads of four of the jewelry and diamond industry’s leading international representative organizations have established a joint consultative committee called “The Presidents Forum.”
Antwerp, Belgium--The heads of four of the jewelry and diamond industry’s leading international representative organizations have established a joint consultative committee called “The Presidents Forum.”
Established at a meeting held Tuesday during the 36th World Diamond Congress in Antwerp, the forum will be comprised of the presidents of each of the four forming organizations: CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation; the World Federation of Diamond Bourses; the International Diamond Manufacturers Association; and the World Diamond Council.
They are: CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri, WFDB President Ernest Blom, IDMA President Maxim Shkadov and WDC President Edward Asscher.
Also in attendance at Tuesday’s forming meeting was Hon. Life President of CIBJO, WFDB and WDC Eli Izhakoff, IDMA Secretary General Ronnie VanderLinden, IDMA Honorary Past President Jeffrey Fischer, and WFDB Vice President Julien Drybooms.
The purpose of the body will be to reflect the interests of all participants and stakeholders in the industry through discussion and coordination, the group said in a statement. The Presidents Forum will discuss and formulate strategies and policies on the industry’s most important issues.
They added that their first order of business will be to begin discussions with the Precious Stones Multi-Stakeholder Working Group about the creation of acceptable due diligence guidelines to ensure the integrity of the supply chain.
“As the elected presidents of international organizations, each of which counts among its members the key national organizations and leading commercial bodies in their respective fields, we collectively represent the rank and file of the diamond, gemstone and jewelry industry worldwide,” they said in a statement.
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