Iris Van der Veken

Iris Van der Veken will directly report to the Board of the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030, and will be based in Geneva.

With a background in law and international relations, Iris Van der Veken has more than 20 years of global experience working in fast-paced environments including the technology, jewellery and fashion industries, as well as the public sector. She has held different strategic leadership positions in the areas of public affairs, international relations, human resources, sustainability, and operations.

Her strong commitment to the global agenda of gender equality has led her to initiate the Generation Equality Campaign for the Jewellery Industry in the context of her former role as Executive Director of the Responsible Jewellery Council. She is a Board Member of ISEAL and Diamonds Do Good.

Commenting on her appointment, Iris Van der Veken said she is excited to be taking on the role. “I am humbled and honoured to lead this C suite coalition,” she said. “I look forward to working with our members and key stakeholders including BJOP, CIBJO, FH, FHH, GIT, GJPC ICA, JA, JLF, JVC, Responsible Jewellery Council, WDC, WJA, along the value chain to deliver collective impact and drive consumer confidence. I believe multi stakeholder partnerships can truly accelerate the sustainability agenda and reporting on measurable progress is critical to enhance trust and transparency.”

“This appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 and we are looking forward to working with Iris and her team that she will build to ensure we will deliver on our ambition,” said Kering’s Chief of Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer, Marie-Claire Daveu. “Her track record on strategic partnerships, depth of international sustainability experience in jewellery and fashion supply chains and her passion for building collective impact through the 17 Sustainable Goals makes her a strong leader.”

Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier International, added: "We are thrilled to welcome Iris as the new Executive Director of the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030. We are confident that under Iris’ leadership, we will be able to accelerate change and enable action throughout the global jewellery and watch supply chain. Her deep commitment and highly valuable experience are crucial to achieve the initiative’s ambitious goals and make a transformative difference for the future generations.”

Driven by a common conviction that the global 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aspirations for a sustainable global jewellery and watch industry can only be achieved through collaborative efforts, Cartier, delegated by Richemont, and Kering launched the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 in October 2021. Since its inception, the Watch & Jewellery Initiative has welcomed new members, Chanel Horlogerie Joaillerie, Montblanc, Pandora, Rosy Blue, and Swarovski. These new members have come in addition to Cartier and the brands of Kering, Gucci Watches, Boucheron, Pomellato, Dodo, Qeelin. Relying on strong existing initiatives such as the Science Based Targets (SBT), the WJI2030 includes newer areas of focus such as science-based climate targets, biodiversity protection and materials and business model innovation, with the intent of encouraging and enabling industry transformation and innovation.

A team will soon be set up to support Iris in her new role.

More information: www.wjinitiative2030.org