LAB-GROWN DIAMOND SYMPOSIUM

Ahmed Bin Sulayem

Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC

Ahmed Bin Sulayem is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC and has driven its growth from a start-up of 28 member companies in 2003 to the world’s leading international business district in 2025 with over 25,000 member companies from 180 countries, employing over 90,000 people.

Tasked with enhancing commodity trade flows through Dubai, DMCC has introduced to the market a number of value-added products and services under Mr Bin Sulayem’s leadership. In 2023, DMCC was named ‘Global Free Zone of the Year’ by The Financial Times fDi Magazine, for a record ninth consecutive year.

Mr Bin Sulayem oversaw the exponential growth of the DMCC Free Zone master development in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT), a 200-hectare business and residential community in Dubai of over 100,000 people living and working in 87 towers. Mr Bin Sulayem also oversees the development of DMCC’s latest real estate project, the Uptown Dubai district.

Mr Bin Sulayem currently serves as the Chairman the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) and the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX).

The Kimberley Process officially appointed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the first and only Arab country to Chair the Kimberley Process (KP) in November 2015. Shortly after, the UAE Ministry of Economy officially appointed Mr Bin Sulayem as the UAE’s Chair of the KP for 2016. Mr Bin Sulayem was reappointed Chair of the KP for a historic second time in 2024, and has continued his leadership role with the position of Custodian Chair in 2025.

Feryal Ahmadi

Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer, DMCC

Feryal Ahmadi serves as the Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer of DMCC, playing a pivotal role in cementing its status as the world’s leading authority on international commodities trade and enterprise.

Feryal oversees DMCC’s long-term strategic growth, driving corporate governance excellence and fostering initiatives that amplify global trade flows through Dubai. She has been instrumental in shaping and managing the development of DMCC’s flagship Uptown Dubai and Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) business districts, as well as spearheading the innovative DMCC Smart and Sustainable District Strategy.

As an official DMCC spokesperson, Feryal represents DMCC on global platforms, engaging with local and international media to elevate the organisation’s profile and champion Dubai’s thought leadership credentials on the world stage.

An advocate for sustainability and inclusivity, Feryal is a committed member of the Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs) committee, established by UN Global Compact and UN Women. She leads DMCC’s comprehensive sustainability programmes and actively contributes to a number of semi-governmental boards across the UAE.

Feryal holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the American University of Sharjah and an Executive MBA from Harvard University.

Arnaud Flambeau

CEO, 2DOT4 DIAMONDS LLC

30+ years of experience in the global jewellery industry. Former International Sales Director at Cookson (Leading precious metals supplier to the jewellery sector). Former CEO of Scintilla Monaco,a high-end fine jewellery brand. Ex-Board Member of the Dubai Diamond Exchange. Co-Founder and CEO of 2DOT4 Diamonds, a company based in Dubai and focused on delivering sustainable, high-quality lab-grown diamond worldwide.

Danielle Keller Aviram

Sustainable Jewellery Consultant, Researcher, and Lecturer, See Through

Danielle is a sustainable jewellery consultant, researcher, and lecturer. She is working with jewellery and fashion organisations and businesses, developing and implementing action plans and strategies. She has been writing about sustainable jewellery for blogs and magazines (like Rapaport magazine, JCK) and has done courses and workshops at universities like the London College of Fashion, Kolding in Denmark, and Notre Dame University in Beirut.

Recently, she founded, together with a few other colleagues from the industry, the Truly Precious foundation, focused on a sustainable jewellery-oriented knowledge sharing platform and data-driven disruption and actions.

Felicitas Morhart

Professor of Marketing, University of Lausanne

Felicitas Morhart is Professor of Marketing at HEC Lausanne, University of Lausanne, where she teaches Luxury Marketing in the Master in Management programme.

Prof. Morhart’s research focuses on personal meaning, identity, and symbolism in consumer behaviour and branding, with publications in leading international journals including the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Psychology & Marketing, and Harvard Business Manager. She is also the editor of the Research Handbook of Luxury Branding.

Alongside her academic work, Prof. Morhart founded the Swiss Center for Luxury Research in 2020, bringing together experts from top Swiss institutions to advance thought leadership in luxury management. In 2021, she co-founded the initiative Originalluxury which promotes technology solutions for traceability and transparency in the luxury sector.

George Christodoulides

Associate Dean (Research & Innovation) and Chalhoub Group Professor of Luxury Brand Management, American University of Sharjah

Professor George Christodoulides holds the Chalhoub Group Professorship in Luxury Brand Management at the American University of Sharjah, where he also serves as Associate Dean for Research and Innovation in the School of Business Administration. His expertise spans luxury marketing and brand management. He is a regular speaker and keynote presenter at international conferences, and his research has been funded by organisations such as the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy. His work appears in leading peer-reviewed journals. He has guest-edited several special issues on luxury and currently serves as Associate Editor of International Marketing Review.

Hans Schwab

Co-founder, OriginAll

Hans J. Schwab is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in founding ventures across the technology, aeronautics, and services industries. Over the past twenty years, he has focused on developing cutting-edge platforms and applications that promote transparency and traceability, empowering consumers to make smarter product choices. Before co-founding OriginAll, Hans served as the Chief Information Officer for a publicly traded Swiss cybersecurity company. Earlier in his career, he spent ten years in various senior roles at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, including serving on its Executive Board. He also held executive management positions for seven years at a Swiss multinational in the security sector.

Hans was an early member of the OECD Taskforce on Charting Illicit Trade. From 2014 to 2016, he was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Human Rights and the Meta-Council on the Illicit Economy.

Kinjal Shah

Head of Asian Development, Responsible Jewellery Council

Kinjal Shah is the Head of Asian Development at the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), based in Surat, India—the heart of diamond manufacturing. Since April 2015, Kinjal has leveraged over 25 years of experience, including 20 years in the gem and jewellery industry, to expand RJC’s presence across Asia. His focus is on building strong relationships with stakeholders, raising awareness, and driving membership growth to boost RJC’s impact throughout Asia.

Before joining RJC, Kinjal played a key role at a UK-based multinational, where he strengthened connections within the mid-stream jewellery supply chain and led the Global Sustainability Programme. Passionate about improving working conditions worldwide, he believes collaboration and shared goals are essential for creating a responsible and sustainable jewellery industry. Kinjal is dedicated to inspiring positive change and encouraging others to embrace sustainability and integrity in their work.

Margot Stuart

Co-founder, ORIGINALLUXURY

Margot brings over 18 years of expertise in combatting illicit trade and counterfeiting. As an early member of the OECD Taskforce on Charting Illicit Trade, she has been at the forefront of initiatives co-developed alongside international organizations such as INTERPOL and WCO.

Beyond countering illicit trade, Margot has a proven track record in establishing and scaling startups. Her role in steering operational activities at a MedTech startup has equipped her with a deep understanding of regulatory and quality mandates. Over the years, she has become a recognised subject matter expert in traceability and product data integrity, with profound insights into Sustainable Business Management.

Today, Margot co-leads the ORIGINALLUXURY initiative, uniting over 300 luxury stakeholders and +25 technology partners to promote transparency and traceability.

Nirit Damri

CEO, CAPSOUL Diamond

Nirit Damri is the Co-founder, CEO and Creative Director of CAPSOUL, a luxury-tech atelier pioneering new frontiers for lab-grown diamonds.

Originally trained as a fashion designer, Nirit was exposed to the earliest phases of the lab-grown diamond industry nearly a decade ago - instantly recognising its untapped creative potential.

Nirit is the creative force behind CAPSOUL’s transformation of advanced diamond technologies into design phenomena. From scented diamonds, to “Breakthrough” - CAPSOUL’s experimental metal-diamond hybrid - her work explores how technical processes can unlock entirely new aesthetics, sensations, and functions.

When LVMH approached CAPSOUL with the ambition to innovate in lab-grown diamond, Nirit conceptualised and developed the diamond-grown crown for the TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma, the world’s first timepiece of its kind.

With a deep fluency in the language of luxury, Nirit works with forward-thinking partners to develop exclusive diamond lines that unlock new desire and commercial value, shaping bold new expressions of what a diamond can be.

“For a designer, the emergence of a new material is a once-in-a-lifetime revelation.” - Nirit Damri

Paul Zimnisky

Indepedent Analyst, Paul Zimnisky Diamond Analytics

Paul Zimnisky, CFA is a globally recognised independent diamond and jewellery industry analyst based in the New York City metro area. His research and analysis is used by many of the world's largest diamond, jewellery and luxury companies as well as federal governments, leading financial institutions, top universities and major intergovernmental organisations. He has a well-regarded subscription-based monthly industry report called “State of the Diamond Market,” a widely tracked proprietary rough diamond price index called “The Zimnisky Global Rough Diamond Price Index,” and a popular industry-focused podcast called the “Paul Zimnisky Diamond Analytics Podcast.” Paul is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business with a B.Sc. in finance. He is a CFA charterholder and is a member of the CFA Society of New York.

Peter Widmann

Senior Vice President and General Manager Swarovski Created Diamonds, Swarovsk Distribution GMBH

Peter is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in the consumer goods and luxury industry and extensive brand building, commercial and business development expertise. He began his career at Procter & Gamble, where he held various roles across multiple geographies, including leading the Global Cosmetics division across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Following his tenure at Procter & Gamble, he successfully established and sold his own fragrance and beauty distribution business, which operated in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Since 2015, Peter has held various senior executive roles at Swarovski. Most recently he led and transformed Swarovski’s global B2B business. In his current capacity, he is responsible for leading the global expansion of Swarovski into Fine Jewellery.

An Italian national, Peter studied Business Administration at the University of Innsbruck (Austria) and the University of Manchester (United Kingdom). He is fluent in German, Italian, and English.

Puja Haresh Kotwani

Director and Founder, Escape Privé

Puja Haresh Kotwani is the founder of Escape Privé, a fine jewellery house redefining modern luxury with lab-grown diamonds and 18k gold. Her designs are created for women who value timeless elegance, conscious craftsmanship, and beauty that doesn’t compromise.

A graduate of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in Diamonds, Design, and Pearls, Puja brings both creative depth and market expertise to her work. As the former Managing Director of Rapaport India, she worked closely with the global Rapaport team on diamond pricing, trading, grading, diamonds and jewellery auctions, and policy advisory—collectively overseeing over $4 billion in goods annually. Over her career, she has personally examined more than two million diamonds.

With over a decade of leadership in the global diamond industry, Puja’s mission is to offer true luxury without compromise—where quality, ethics, and sustainability coexist effortlessly.

"I’ve spent years inside the diamond industry—learning from legacy houses, watching how tradition is built. But I also saw its blind spots. Escape Privé is where I choose to do things differently—creating jewellery that reflects who you are, not just what you can afford." - Puja Haresh Kotwani

Tania Heikal

Gemmology Lecturer. Glowynotshowy

Tania has a Bachelor in Business Administration from the American University in Beirut, a GG from the Gemological Institute of America, and comes from a banking background and has over ten years of expertise in Gemmology, with a notable focus on her roles as a writer and panelist for reputable institutions.

Over the past five years, she has dedicated her efforts to her jewellery Instagram blog, 'GlowynotShowy,” through which she acted as an educator, jewellery expert, and a consultant to VIP clients and brands.

Additionally, Tania's insightful perspectives have been sought after as she moderates and participates in panels alongside major industry actors such as Sotheby’s, The Retail Jewelry World Forum, and Damas Jewellery.

Her current role is a Lecturer at L’ÉCOLE Middle East, School of Jewelry Arts, where she conducts Gemmology classes, and talks about gems and the jewellery world.

Vinit Jogani

Director, Diatech Platforms DMCC

Vinit Jogani, a Director at the Lemon-Diatech Group, brings a robust background in software engineering and technology leadership, notably from his tenure at Google. Having worked on building advanced algorithms for graph search and fingerprinting, co-inventing a published patent, and developing groundbreaking GNNs, his experience reflects deep technical know-how of large-scale problems. Among other industries, he has recently been focused on leveraging technology for addressing the needs of the G&J industry. Along those lines, he has helped pioneer several game-changing solutions like Diatech Analytics: an advanced pricing and analytics engine for diamonds, Diatech Studio: a GenAI suite for jewellery design, Diatrace: an end-to-end jewellery and diamond traceability system, and more. This blend of advanced technical expertise and extensive domain knowledge in the diamond industry come together to help diamond companies innovate and stay on the cutting edge.

Zulu Ghevriya

CEO and Co-founder, Smiling Rocks Inc

Zulu Ghevriya is the CEO and Co-founder of Smiling Rocks and the Managing Director of Prism Group. He has over 20 years of experience in the diamond and jewellery industry. Ghevriya’s innovative approach has made him a trailblazer in the gem and jewellery sector.

Ghevriya started his business with the natural diamond company Prism Group and has grown it into a globally recognised diamond and jewellery design house. In the early stages of his career, he pioneered the introduction of treated colour diamonds in Asia and worldwide.

With experience in diamond manufacturing and trading in India, as well as export expertise in Hong Kong, New York, and Europe, Ghevriya has specialised gemmology knowledge and training that have established him as a notable authority and welcomed consultant in his field.

In recognition of his achievements, Ghevriya was awarded the JNA Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2018, winning 2 years consecutively the SDG Enterprise Award for his philanthropy work through his business. He has been invited to speak at multiple prestigious institutions and panel discussions, such as the London Business School and JCK/JNA/GJEPC/GDE events, to educate the industry on the current diamond and jewellery market and inspire the next generation of professionals.