The Board of Directors of the World Diamond Council has approved the appointment of Jacky Roth, the veteran diamond industry leader from Belgium, to its ranks. Mr. Roth's appointment was proposed by the presidents of all four Belgian diamond exchanges, who were joined by WDC President Eli Izhakoff.

 
Mr. Roth began his public service career in the Antwerp diamond industry in 1979 when he was first elected to the board of the  Beurs voor Diamanthandel (Antwerp Diamond Bourse) and over the years held various posts at the diamond exchange and at the Federation of Belgian Diamond Bourses. In 1982, he was elected a board member of the HRD (Diamond High Council), the umbrella organization that represented the Belgian diamond center, which was restructured into the Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC) in 2006. He was elected as its president in 2004, and after retiring from the position earlier this year was named the AWDC Honorary President.
 
In recognition of Mr. Roth's role in the Belgian diamond sector, in 2005 he was decorated with the title of Commander in the Order of Leopold II by King Albert II.
 
"We are indeed privileged to have an individual with Jacky's breadth of knowledge and experience on the WDC Board of Directors," said Mr. Izhakoff. "I am confident that he will play a valuable role in helping the WDC fulfill its valuable mission."
 
"We applaud the WDC board on its decision to recruit an individual of the calibre of Jack Roth," said Freddy J. Hanard, CEO of the AWDC. "As he has done for so long in Antwerp, Jacky will undoubtedly make a valuable contribution to the WDC's mission of protecting and defending the integrity of the diamond pipeline."