The newly elected board immediately made a number of important and urgent decisions at its meeting today. In addition to the appointments, the board also decided to take all the necessary steps to ensure the continued modernization of the HRD, as outlined in the restructuring plan.

One aspect of this change is that all commercial activities will be split up and marketing and communication policies will be coordinated. The principal objective is to expand Antwerp ’s position as the world diamond capital.

Following an extensive study of the diamond sector, Hanard is expected to put together a detailed strategy to implement the changes.

“Freddy Hanard has a two-fold advantage. On the one hand he knows the diamond sector inside out and was very recently already a member of the previous board of directors of the HRD,” said HRD spokesman Philip Claes. “The other advantage is that as a leading banker, he was enough of an outsider to meet the description of a privileged, objective observer.”

Until January this year, Hanard was Regional Head Europe, Middle East & Africa of the International Diamond & Jewelry Group and member of the management board of ABN Amro, Belgian.

“I see my greatest challenge as leading the Antwerp diamond world and in particular the HRD, into the third millennium,” Hanard said in a statement.