Diamond industry specialist Jonathan Kendall was named executive vice president of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, where he vowed to help drum up interest from younger buyers through marketing strategies that promote sustainability and environmental protection.

Kendall served as president of the association’s Marketing & Education Commission for many years, authoring a series of guides on responsible business practices, advertising and human resource management in the jewellery industry. 

He also was a driving force behind CIBJO’s Retailer’s Reference Guide, a second edition of which will soon be released, according to the group. In 2014, Kendall established CIBJO’s Jewellery Industry’s Greenhouse Gas Measurement Initiative, which helps jewellery and gemstone industry players understand the environmental impact of their operations, offset and reduce such impact, and protect themselves and the sector as a whole.

At De Beers Group, where he served as a senior executive for 19 years, Kendall was instrumental in formulating the De Beers Best Practice Principles, and in developing new business strategies, including Forevermark, International Institute for Diamond Grading and Research and De Beers Institute of Diamonds.

According to Kendall, jewellers need to market their products with a strong emphasis on sustainability, environmental management, and support for everyone in the supply chain – from sourcing and manufacturing to distribution. “My personal goal will be to help CIBJO provide the industry with the knowledge and tools to win the hearts and minds of the next generation,” he noted.