Fred Mouawad’s jewellery is coming to town soon

Fred Mouawad is a global citizen, portfolio entrepreneur, and a fourth generation Co-Guardian of Mouawad, the family jewellery business founded by David Mouawad in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1891. Fred formed Synergia One, which seeks to exploit synergies across the portfolio.

The group has diverse capabilities in managing different phases of an organisation from incubating its own startups to mergers & acquisitions (M&As). Synergia One currently operates in 15 countries and operates in the following industries: diamonds, jewellery and watches, food services, food manufacturing, logistics, publishing, trade shows, and information technology (IT).

Fred is clear about how he is actively charting the group’s legacy. “It’s about constantly seeking to improve on what we have while continuing to honour the heritage that brought us to where we are today. It’s a process of being open, of listening and learning, to what is happening in the world today and the possibilities of what can happen in the future, and of collaborating and sharing ideas with our management team and with the co-guardians, not only with the fourth generation, my brothers Alain and Pascal, but also the fifth generation that is now coming onboard. Our vision encompasses emphasising on our family legacy and heritage, empowering femininity, and crafting the extraordinary,” he says.

Fred considers himself to be a daydreamer. “I love dreaming about what might be possible. I like identifying opportunities and the creative process of how the dream can be realised from the creation of the name, the design of the logo, to a full launch. My favourite part is from conception to execution. Once the venture reaches maturity my excitement wanes. Frequent daydreaming is an essential part of my days — I often do it over a 10-minute coffee break. It allows me the time to relax, reflect, and let my mind wander. This is how great ideas can be born and then acted on,” he says.

His leadership skills were shaped at an early age. “At the age of 21, I had just graduated from college, and I arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, where I took over as General Manager (GM) of the Mouawad factory, responsible for 300 employees. This was the biggest learning experience I could have hoped for. I worked in every department, putting in long hours every day to make sure I was armed with the knowledge and expertise required to lead and drive continuous improvements. I started at the top, but I quickly placed myself at the bottom to learn most roles in the factory. Mastering the details enabled me to work with the rest of the team to identify opportunities and drive change,” he says.

He devised a 22-point quality mechanism, which is an industry gold standard. “When I first started managing our jewellery factory in Bangkok, I was fascinated by how to achieve the highest possible quality for our jewels. I came up with the motto ‘quality is our priority’. I then understood that for quality to be achieved we had to make sure that we were producing it every step of the way. Not at the end of the process, as this increases rework and often defects cannot be fixed once the product is completed. The best way to proceed is to make sure we meet the highest standards at every stage of the manufacturing process. This is how I devised a 22-point quality control system that is still used to date,” he says.

Fred is clear about the attributes required to be a successful diamantaire. “It’s important to have know-how, passion, courage, and the ability to assess risk. When buying an exceptionally rough diamond or coloured gemstone, there is a lot at stake. The outcome is never certain, and a mistake can lead to a significant financial loss. Our tagline of ‘crafting the extraordinary’ relates to our passion for daring to procure, design and create exceptional jewels. As well as these attributes, integrity and ethical practices are an essential prerequisite. Our reputation is our most important asset,” he says.

joydeep@khaleejtimes.com