HRD Names New CEO Amid Sale Process

RAPAPORT... HRD Antwerp has hired Ellen Joncheere as its CEO in the middle of a process to sell the company.Joncheere currently holds the same position at Fremach International, a supplier of car parts to the automotive industry. She will join HRD on January 20, succeeding interim CEO Michel Janssens, who will retire in mid-2020, a spokesperson for the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) said Thursday. AWDC, which owns HRD, recently fielded takeover bids for the Belgian laboratory from two former heads of the company, Peter Meeus and Serge Couvreur, as well as Israel-based Sarine Technologies, according to sources with knowledge of the process. The spokesperson declined to comment on how Joncheere's appointment would impact the ongoing sale."HRD Antwerp enjoys an excellent reputation internationally, and the lab's certificates are highly regarded," said Ari Epstein, CEO of the AWDC. "To ensure the future of HRD Antwerp, it was important to attract a good new CEO. We are very happy with the arrival of Ellen Joncheere."Image: Ellen Joncheere. (Ellen Joncheere/LinkedIn)