Vanderlinden has held the position of vice president for the past three years, and at the organisation’s annual general meeting in Antwerp on 7 May, was appointed president, replacing Feriel Zerouki.
Vanderlinden is president of Diamex, a diamond company founded in 1990. He served as president of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association in 2016.
“My role is clear. The World Diamond Council must be a champion for the natural diamond trade,” Vanderlinden said in a statement.
“Everything we do comes back to a simple test. Does our work help build confidence in natural diamonds and help the trade sell them? If not, it is not a priority.
“We are operating in a more complex and competitive market than we have seen in recent years. Demand for natural diamonds is under pressure. Too many different messages are reaching the market. At the same time, new competition has changed how natural diamonds are positioned and understood. This is the reality we have to deal with.”
He added: “The response to that reality is alignment.”
Anoop Mehta has been appointed as vice president. Mehta is the managing director of Mohit Diamonds and the president of the Bharat Diamond Bourse. David Bonaparte has been named as treasurer, and Udi Sheintal as secretary.
The World Diamond Council was founded in 2000 and represents the entirety of the global diamond chain, from mining to retail.
More reading
Diamonds in Transition: Navigating a market in flux
Strictly speaking, about synthetics
New president for World Diamond Council
Conflict diamonds: Debate over definition rages on
Natural Diamonds: Nature’s Mic Drop
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