Chris Blakeslee has experience at Athleta and Alo Yoga. Kendra Scott will remain on board as executive chair and chief visionary officer.
Mark Motes to Lead Buying Group Board
The Smyth Jewelers executive now is board president of the Continental Buying Group, where he will provide strategic counsel for the organization.

Baltimore--Mark Motes has been appointed board president of the Continental Buying Group and will provide strategic counsel and business acumen for the organization’s continued growth and development.
The CBG is an independent group comprised of 105 members and approximately 250 retail jewelry outlets, with an annual sales volume of more than $400 million in wholesale and $1 billion in retail.
A member of the CBG board for eight years, Motes was elected president this past January by fellow board members and CBG owners Andie Weinman and Joe Murphy.
Motes also serves as chief operating officer of Smyth Jewelers, a company he joined in 1997 as general manager. He was promoted to COO in 2007.
“Mark has been an invaluable asset to the Smyth Jewelers executive leadership team,” said Smyth Jewelers President Bob Smyth. “We’re thrilled that his expertise has been recognized by the CBG board. We know he will guide its directors in the same way he has led our company for nearly a decade.”
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