The World Diamond Council (WDC) has appointed Ronnie VanderLinden as new president of the organization following the Annual General Meeting on May 7, 2026. He will succeed Feriel Zerouki in this position.
Ronnie VanderLinden is known as president of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA). Speaking at WDC’s annual event, he underlined the necessity for the diamond industry to be a champion for the natural diamond trade.
"We must speak with one voice for natural diamonds. If we are not helping sell natural diamonds in a meaningful way, we are not doing our job," WDC press service quotes VanderLinden as saying.
He believes that the case for natural diamonds is strong, but it has to be demonstrated, and the industry needs to educate the consumers on diamond origins, on "how they move through the pipeline and what they do in producing countries."
According to him, the WDC will continue working on an update to the conflict diamond definition, so it "reflects the reality of today’s risks and strengthens confidence in natural diamonds."
Meanwhile, Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) president Anoop Mehta was elected WDC’s vice president. VanderLinden praised the appointment and argued that Mehta would bring "experience, leadership and deep connections across the industry" to the role.
Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished
