The World Diamond Council (WDC) has announced the resignation of president Andrey Polyakov, who will be succeeded by vice-president Stéphane Fischler.
Fischler has been involved with the organization since its establishment in 2000. He will step up as acting president on July 1, and will then begin a two-year term as president in May 2018.
Fischler comes into the new position with a wealth of experience. Currently, he is president of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), vice chairman of the International Diamond Council (IDC), and vice-president of the Diamond Development Initiative. He is also a partner in Belgium-based Fischler Diamonds.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to [Polyakov] for his leadership, and I, along with the rest of the members, look forward to continuing the good work he began with us,” he says.
Polyakov was elected president of the WDC in May 2016 after serving as its vice-president one year prior. He has also been vice-president at Alrosa since 2013.
“It has been an honor…to be a part of an organization tasked with such an important mission for our industry,” says Polyakov. “We have achieved much together, but assuring that the diamond supply chain remains virtually free of conflict diamonds will take vigilance and an ongoing commitment to education and training for the next generation of industry stewards.”
