Feriel Zerouki assumes office as WDC President
Brings almost two decades of experience as a leading advocate for enhancing standards in the diamond industry
Feriel Zerouki, President of the World Diamond Council.
MAY 15, 2023
Feriel Zerouki is the new President of the World Diamond Council, following three years as Vice President and almost two decades as a leading advocate for enhancing standards and driving progress within the diamond industry. She assumed office today at a meeting of the WDC Board of Directors in London, taking over from Edward Asscher, who completed the second of two non-consecutive terms as WDC president.
During the meeting, the WDC Board approved the election of Ronnie VanderLinden as the new WDC Vice President. According to the organization’s Bylaws, he will become the next president when Ms. Zerouki ends her term in office.
Ronnie VanderLinden, WDC Vice President.
Anoop Mehta, WDC Treasurer
Udi Sheintal, WDC Secretary
Born in the United Arab Emirates and from Algerian descent, Ms. Zerouki joined the diamond industry in 2005 as a supply chain analyst at De Beers’ Diamond Trading Company.
In 2009 she was appointed Best Practices Principles Manager at De Beers, with responsibility for building and maintaining a leading set of ethical standards for the De Beers Group, Sightholders and their diamond contractors, covering business, social and environmental issues.
In 2014 she was appointed Head of International Relations at De Beers, it was in this position that she began her association with the WDC. During this period, she helped initiate Tracr, with an objective to provide traceability and provenance for the diamond sector, and GemFair, created to support the formalization of the artisanal diamond mining sector, through which miners receive fair value offers for their diamonds.
More recently Ms. Zerouki was appointed Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at De Beers Group. She also serves as an Officer on the Board of Directors of the Responsible Jewellery Council and this year was appointed to the Board of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee.
WDC President Feriel Zerouki, with her predecessor, Edward Asscher.
“The current KP Review and Reform cycle, in which WDC is deeply involved, is of critical importance, for it addresses directly what needs to be done to position the KP effectively in a much-changed and fast-evolving landscape.”” the new WDC President added.
Ms. Zerouki will lead the WDC delegation at the five-day 2023 Kimberley Process Intersessional meeting, which will begin next week, on May 21, at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
