Helzberg President Julie Yoakum Moves Over to Signet Jewelers
The addition of Yoakum, who will lead Kay and Peoples, was one of three executive appointments Signet announced Thursday.

The jewelry giant announced Thursday afternoon that Yoakum is the new president of Kay Jewelers and Peoples Jewellers, its Canadian jewelry store chain.
Signet said the jewelry industry veteran brings a combination of “operational rigor, entrepreneurial mindset and diamond industry expertise” to the company.
Yoakum spent four years with Blue Nile before joining Helzberg Diamonds as senior vice president and chief merchandising officer in 2017, according to her LinkedIn page.
She was promoted to president of the Berkshire Hathaway-owned jeweler in 2022 when Beryl Raff announced her retirement.
As president and chief brand merchant officer at Helzberg, Yoakum led product development, sourcing, quality assurance, distribution, and digital transformation.
She succeeds Stacee Johnson-Williams, who was serving as interim president of Kay and Peoples following the exit of Bill Brace in March.
Brace was one of a number of executives who parted ways with Signet earlier this year following the appointment of a new CEO, J.K. Symancyk, in late 2024.
Johnson-Williams will remain with Signet as chief merchandise operations and sourcing officer, working to expand the retailer’s cross-brand sourcing capabilities and overseeing the assortment of core categories to fully leverage scale in buying.
Also on Thursday, Signet announced that it has a new chief marketing officer, Lisa Laich.
Most recently, Laich oversaw digital and brand marketing for Crocs and HeyDude, a footwear brand owned by Crocs.
With Signet, she will collaborate with the consumer brands to develop creative content and storytelling to drive customer loyalty while delivering the benefits of scale in marketing.
“Julie, Stacee, and Lisa are experienced and highly accomplished industry leaders who believe in Signet’s purpose of ‘Inspiring Love’ and will accelerate our ‘Grow Brand Love’ strategy,” Symancyk said.
“Julie brings over 30 years of experience in the jewelry and apparel industries, with a strong track record of sales growth. Stacee’s decade of leadership at Signet will enable her to quickly advance our core merchandising and leverage scale to drive top-line growth in key categories. And Lisa’s record of marketing excellence and commercial growth across leading retail brands complements the strengths of our team.”
Signet Jewelers is the largest specialty jeweler in North America, ranking No. 1 in both sales and number of stores in National Jeweler’s 2025 State of the Majors issue.
The Latest
Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association

In its holiday report, PwC said the season will be more like jazz—improvisational and less predictable—than an easy-to-follow melody.

The designer, who is the creative force behind her namesake brand, has now started a new mini line focusing on chains for fathers and sons.

With their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.

The awards include tuition for a course at the Swiss lab, economy flights, and hotel accommodation.


The 21-day program was designed to help jewelry retailers identify opportunities and eliminate inefficiencies with AI.

A set of four Patek Philippe “Star Caliber 2000” pocket watches is part of Sotheby’s upcoming auction in Abu Dhabi.

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

The Brazilian jeweler’s latest book marks her namesake brand’s 25th anniversary and tells the tale of her worldwide collaborations.

The Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany & Co. dial came from the original owner, who won it as a prize on the game show in the 1970s.

The new integration allows users to manage shipments directly from the Shopify dashboard.

At Converge 2025, Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff attended sessions on DEI, tariffs, security, and more. Here are her top takeaways.

Six people were shot last week at an Oakland cash-for-gold shop as employees exchanged gunfire with individuals trying to rob the store.

The jeweler has expanded its high jewelry offering, which launched last year, with new pieces featuring its cube motif that debuted in 1999.

Ben Bridge Jeweler and Lux Bond & Green were a part of the pilot program.

Associate Editor Natalie Francisco shares eight of her favorite jewelry looks from the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, held Sunday night.

It’s predicting a rise in retail sales this holiday season despite economic uncertainty and elevated inflation.

It included the sale of the 11,685-carat “Imboo” emerald that was recently discovered at Kagem.

The newly elected directors will officially take office in February 2026 and will be introduced at the organization’s membership meeting.

Associate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.

Fordite is a man-made material created from the layers of dried enamel paint that dripped onto the floors of automotive factories.

Gilbertson has worked as a researcher, jeweler, lapidary artist, appraiser, and business owner throughout his decades in the industry.

A decision likely won’t come until January 2026 at the earliest, and the tariffs remain in effect until then.

The new, free app offers accessible educational content, like games and podcasts, for U.S. retailers.

As the gold price rises, the manufacturer is offering a 100 percent payout through Sept. 30 for gold clean scrap.

Jacob & Co. partnered with the German technology company on two pairs of headphones, one set with diamonds and the other with sapphires.

Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 “Frankenstein” will feature 27 jewels and objects from the storied brand, including pieces from its archives.