MajorsDec 23, 2021
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GIA Appoints VP of Business Development, North America
Richard Pesqueira reports to Chief Marketing Officer Mark Buntz.
Richard Pesqueira, GIA’s newly appointed vice president of business development, North America
Carlsbad, Calif.—The Gemological Institute of America has named industry veteran Richard Pesqueira to the new role of vice president of business development, North America.
He joins with more than 30 years of experience building transformative retail experiences, growth strategies, and comprehensive training initiatives at top brands, according to GIA.
A GIA Graduate Gemologist, Pesqueira most recently worked at Tiffany & Co., where he served as the jeweler’s director for the Las Vegas market.
Prior to that, he served as Tiffany’s global director of education, leading all retail product training.
Pesqueira also held the role of vice president of sales and business development for five years at Hearts on Fire, including managing key aspects of the Hearts on Fire/Chow Tai Fook integration, and worked at Rogers Jewelry, a family-owned California chain where he got his start.
He is based at GIA’s global headquarters in Carlsbad, California and reports to Mark Buntz, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, under whom the global business development functions at GIA are integrating.
The GIA business development teams work with clients, retailers, and others, mostly in the top three jewelry markets—India, China, and the U.S.—to support GIA’s consumer protection efforts by working with the trade to meet their needs with its products and services.
Anna Martin, GIA’s senior vice president of business development and beneficiation, will shift her focus to long-term strategic projects at the institute.
“Richard’s talent and experience are a tremendous addition to GIA, helping us connect even more meaningfully with our industry stakeholders as we work every day to protect consumers and ensure their trust in gems and jewelry,” Buntz said.
“As GIA advances our work with retailers to address consumer demands for more information on the sustainability, traceability and positive impacts of the gems they buy, building out our team with Richard’s skills and insight is a major step forward.”
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