The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has announced the election of new members to its Executive Committee and Board of Directors during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 9 June.
Newly Elected Leadership
In-line with industry-wide efforts to amplify responsible and sustainable business practices, RJC members elected three individuals to its Executive Committee and nine to its Board.
RJC Chairman David Bouffard praised the election process, saying, “RJC’s strength comes from the engagement of our 1,700 committed members, a deeply experienced board and executive leadership team, and a shared belief in building sustainable, responsible business practices across our industry. These newly elected leaders, working with a highly talented set of existing board members, will accelerate our efforts through diverse perspectives and deep knowledge. Congratulations to them all.”
Executive Committee Officers: Experience and Dedication
Edward Asscher from Royal Asscher was elected as Vice Chair, noting “I was invited to the board in 2022. Now that I have been elected to the board, I feel strongly supported to further the goals of the RJC: sustainability, diversity and continuously improving the standards. I draw on my long experience to advance our goals, especially for the small and medium enterprises.”
Udi Sheintal from the World Diamond Council will serve as Honorary Secretary. Expressing gratitude for his new role, Sheintal shared, “I am honoured and grateful for the show of trust from RJC members and look forward to joining the RJC Officers in contributing to the organisation’s important work.”
Feriel Zerouki from De Beers was re-elected as Honorary Treasurer. Recognising the increasing emphasis on sustainability, Zerouki stated, “With stakeholder focus on sustainability growing ever sharper, it is vital that the jewellery industry adopts the highest standards of practice. I’m therefore delighted to be re-elected treasurer of the RJC as it continues to expand its membership and delivers wider positive impact with its leading sustainability agenda.”
Representation Across the Jewellery and Watch Supply Chain
Election results for the RJC Member Forum representatives indicate a diverse selection, with representatives from different segments of the jewellery and watch supply chain.
Elected representatives include Zara Boltd from Lucara Diamonds and Purvi Shah from De Beers for the Diamond, Gold and/or Platinum Group Metals Producer Forum; Michael Steinmetz from Leo Schachter Diamonds for the Diamond Trader and/or Cutter and Polisher Forum; Philip Reisert from C. Hafner for the Gold & Platinum Group Metals Trader, Refiner, or Hedger Forum.
Colleen Rooney from Signet Jewelers and Reout Kallati from Kallati International were elected for the Retailer Forum, while Kareena Shahani from IGI India and Rajesh Neelakanta from Sequel Secure Logistics will represent the Service Industries Forum. For the Trade Association Forum, Gaetano Cavalieri from CIBJO and Bernadette Pinet Couq from BJOP were elected.
Forward Steps for the RJC
The newly elected Board and Officers will closely collaborate with RJC Executive Director Melanie Grant and her management team. They aim to steer the organisation’s drive towards promoting responsible business practices across the global jewellery and watch supply chain.
For UK jewellers, this demonstrates a growing international focus on accountability, ethical sourcing and sustainability that reflects consumer demand and is likely to shape future industry standards.
