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PGI CEO James Courage to retire as office moves east

OtherJan 20, 2015

PGI CEO James Courage to retire as office moves east

Platinum Guild International CEO James Courage will retire and be replaced by Huw Daniel as the company moves its head office from London to Hong Kong. 

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Huw Daniel, at left, will replace James Courage as PGI’s CEO as the company moves to Hong Kong. Daniel will be replaced by Jenny Luker as president of PGI USA.

New York--Sponsors of the Platinum Guild International announced late Tuesday that longtime global CEO James Courage will retire and be replaced by PGI USA President Huw Daniel as the company relocates its head office from London to Hong Kong.

Courage will retire from PGI at the end of April, after 18 years of service. 

While Daniel’s appointment is immediate, he’ll officially take full responsibility for the organization beginning April 1, and move from New York City to Hong Kong, where PGI hopes to have its office fully operational by the end of the summer.

The move, PGI said, reflects the growing importance of platinum demand in Asia. 

Daniel said it is an honor to be selected to build on Courage’s “outstanding legacy.” 

Taking over Daniel’s role as president of PGI USA is Jenny Luker, who has been with PGI for 20 years. Her appointment is effective Feb. 2. 

Luker joined PGI USA in its Newport Beach, Calif. office in 1995 after earning her post-graduate degree. 

Over the years, she has worked in marketing and public and industry relations for the company. She has been the senior vice president of PGI USA since 2005, with a focus on building platinum sales with key partners. 

Daniel said, “Jenny is loved and respected by the industry and PGI teams in the U.S. and globally, and I cannot think of a better person to lead platinum sales to new heights.”

PGI works to develop demand for platinum by working with retailers and manufacturers worldwide. In addition to PGI USA, the company has offices in China (led by Dennis Kao), Japan (led by Hisako Hankinson) and India (led by Vaishali Banerjee) as well as its head office that’s moving from London to Hong Kong. 

Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.

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