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Isi Morsel

 

  • Name: Isi Mörsel
  • Company Name: Dali Diamond Company NV
  • Years of Involvement in the Trade: feels like I started yesterday
  • Your Age: 10 years past my midlife crisis
  • Something additional you would like to share? I already said too much

 

What are your three priorities within the board, and how would you approach them? 

Win! Win! Win! On a more serious note: we need to ensure Antwerp remains a prominent center in the global diamond industry. Our city has significant advantages over other centers, including strong banking infrastructure, G7 status, and a reputation for safety. By focusing on these strengths and working collaboratively with a competent board and skilled management team, we can enhance our position. It is crucial to address these points strategically to maintain and grow our leadership in the diamond world.

 

As representatives of a segment of the market, how would you stay in touch with your constituents/voters?

Transparency is more important than communication. My friends, there is only one solution: an advisory board! Stakeholders from the industry should be partners in our decision-making process.  Some politicians have two kinds of speeches: one for before the election and another for after winning. Rest assured, I have only one consistent message. If I win, I will maintain an open-door policy, and we will work together collaboratively. We seek a close collaboration with mining companies, aiming to negotiate relationships that are mutually beneficial—a win for the mining companies and a win for Antwerp.

 

How are you tethered to Antwerp? 

Born and raised in Antwerp, I love this city. It is an oasis of tolerance, where love and harmony weave together people from diverse ethnic backgrounds. As the former president of the largest Jewish school in Antwerp, I know that everything starts with education. Let's work together to make Antwerp great again. Even if I lose, I will remain in Antwerp and respond more amicably than President Trump.

 

What are Antwerp's assets?

Being the only country that strictly implements sanctions on Russian goods should be turned into an advantage for those who seek this assurance. Additionally, we are the only center that is unfriendly to lab-grown diamond trading, which we can also leverage as a strength. The presence of Indians, Jews, Arabs, Armenians, and even sometimes Flemish people on our streets is a huge advantage and a source of pride.

 

​What is the best-kept secret of Antwerp?

One of my mentors was Mr. Samuel Perl, a renowned and respected figure in Antwerp who was actively involved in numerous organizations. During the Second World War, when the Germans invaded our country, his family hid on a farm in Brussels. Before escaping, his father took a parcel of small polished diamonds. Each week, Mr. Perl gave a stone to the farmer as payment for shelter and food. When the parcel was empty, the Americans arrived to liberate Belgium, forcing the Germans to flee. This story is very precious to me.