You now officially represent the 5th Generation Co-Guardian of Mouawad, What responsibilities does it put on your shoulders?
I see it as a great honor more than anything. It is an exciting moment to begin my career in a way that allows me to contribute to Mouawad’s future and to continue learning alongside the fourth generation.
How was the idea of creating the Mouawad Diamond Impact Fund elaborated and what role did you play in this direction?
I came up with the initial idea and then presented it to my father and uncles. Several discussions followed in which the project began to take shape, based on feedback and assessment of logistics and viability. Throughout this, I led the project and took responsibility for it.
In your opinion what role may the Mouawad Diamond Impact Fund have on the company’s journey towards sustainability?
Sustainability is essential for any organization and Mouawad has always sought ways to ensure that this is embedded in its vision and actions. The Mouawad Diamond Impact Fund brings a new dimension to sustainability, as it aims to give back to the communities and countries in which we source diamonds by sharing skills and knowledge and at the same time contributing to Mouawad’s goal of having its manufacturing bases entirely staffed by locals.
The MDIF’s vision is: To create a world where individuals have better opportunities to thrive and prosper regardless of their race, gender, or socio-economic status, how are you willing to achieve that?
We have already begun to implement this with our first group of Mouawad Diamond Impact Fund trainees. Five young South Africans were selected to receive training, which they successfully completed, and subsequently earned places to further their training in the Mouawad facility in Bangkok. They have all now successfully completed their training there and are equipped with skills that empower them to work in diamond manufacturing. This has given them a future of opportunity.
You come from a family of jewelers, what have you learned from your father, uncles and grandfather?
I have learned so many things that it would be impossible to list them all. I think that the things that resonate with me most are to be bold and visionary, to appreciate quality and craftsmanship, and to value personal relationships.
Did you have another choice other than the enrollment in the family business?
In life, you can only excel at the things that you really love. There is no question that what I am doing today is something that I am passionate about and that I am on a path that I have chosen myself.
You are young and ambitious, what are your dreams? What do you want to achieve?
I would like to be able to say that I made a difference to Mouawad, by bringing something new and visionary to the table, and that I made a difference to the world by paving the way for others to be successful too.