Edward Asscher (1946) started working at the Royal Asscher Diamond Company in 1970 after completing a master's degree in economics at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. After 50 years of service, Asscher retired from the company's daily management in 2020

 

In March 2024, he was re-elected Vice Chair of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), 

 

From June 2020 to 2023, Mr. Asscher served a second term as president of the World Diamond Council (WDC). He was the first elected president of the WDC from 2014 to 2016. 

 

Asscher is a past president of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA). He is a past president of the International Diamond Council, 

 

Edward Asscher is also involved in affairs outside of the diamond industry. A past president of the Liberal Party, he was elected to the Dutch Parliament's Senate from 2007 to 2011 and is a past board member of Amsterdam's Jewish Museum. 

 

He is the founder and past chairman of the Foundation for Mentally Handicapped People, which built homes for 1200 people in Amsterdam. 

 

Due to his interest in sports, he was president of the International Concours Hippique "Jumping Amsterdam." Asscher is a passionate sailor and likes to relax at his second home in Friesland's lake district.

 

Edward Asscher received a knighthood for his social and ethical work, becoming an Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau in 1999.

 

Edward Asscher is married with three children, two of whom now stand at the helm of Royal Asscher Diamond Company in Amsterdam - his daughter, Lita, and his son, Mike. The third one, Guido, works in I.T. at Shell Oil.