Eli Izhakoff is a prominent figure in the international diamond and jewelry industry, with a career spanning several decades and a family legacy in the diamond trade. He has held various significant public positions since 1979. As a member of the pioneering Izhakoff family in the diamond industry, he became a partner at J. Izhakoff & Sons, a diamond manufacturing and import/export firm with offices in New York.

In the early stages of his career, Izhakoff joined the board of the Diamond Dealers Club in New York and served in senior roles, including chairman and secretary. By 1986, he was treasurer-general of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), a global body uniting diamond exchanges. His presidency at the WFDB began in 1991, with unanimous elections for three consecutive terms, during which he expanded the federation and oversaw the establishment of new diamond bourses in Thailand, the UAE, China, Russia, and India​​.

Izhakoff was instrumental in addressing the conflict diamond crisis by leading the World Diamond Council (WDC), established in 2000. He was a key architect of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which significantly reduced the circulation of conflict diamonds. This system was recognized by the United Nations Security Council and saw the number of conflict diamonds drop from over 4% to less than 0.1% of total diamonds in the distribution pipeline​​.

His connection to the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) comes through his involvement and influence in establishing Dubai as a significant diamond trading hub. At the Dubai Diamond Conference in 2013, Izhakoff shared his experience of Dubai’s transformation, likening it to the “Field of Dreams” notion — “If you build it, they will come.” He expressed immense pride in his association with the Dubai Diamond Exchange and highlighted the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in envisioning Dubai as a major diamond center. Under the leadership of Ahmed Bin Sulayem ( https://crunchdubai.com/ahmed_bin_sulayem/ ), DMCC’s executive chairman, and Peter Meeus, the chairman of the Dubai Diamond Exchange, DMCC became a bustling gemstone bourse, adopting a progressive view of natural diamonds as precious commodities. Izhakoff praised the DMCC and the government of Dubai for their support of the Kimberley Process and the WDC, noting that the DMCC hosted the Third Annual Meeting of the WDC in 2004 with Sheikh Mohammed as the patron​​.

For more detailed insights into his career and achievements, including his various honors and associations with key industry bodies, further research into the organizations he has been part of, such as the WFDB, WDC, and CIBJO, would provide a comprehensive understanding of his impact on the diamond industry and his biography.