A podcast prompted Smith to share his views on where origin fits into the natural diamond story and the viability of branded diamonds.
Canadian Jewellers Association Appoints General Manager
Retail veteran Brian Land was named to the position in August after the CJA merged with Jewellers Vigilance Canada.
Toronto--The Canadian Jewellers Association has named Brian Land as its general manager.
In his new role, Land will assist in developing an updated strategic plan as well as operating plan and budgets.
He also will ensure the continuity of the CJA’s programs and spearhead the events to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2018.
Land joins with more than 20 years of experience in senior management positions at Canadian retailers, including vice president of sales and operations at Peoples Jewellers Corporation, divisional vice president-retail at Henry Birks & Sons and vice president retail-the Americas for Waterford Wedgewood Royal Doulton.
He also is past president and has served for more than 20 years on the board of directors of Jewellers Vigilance Canada, forging strong relationships with the industry’s associations and members.
The news comes after the CJA has joined with Jewellers Vigilance Canada under the CJA umbrella, effective this summer. (In fact, the general manager position replaces the Canadian Jewellers Association’s role of CEO and president after the combination due to the fact that the Jewellers Vigilance Canada had an executive director in charge.)
After the merger, the CJA held its annual general meeting and elected the board of directors for its 2017-2018 year. Heading the board are co-chairman Umesh Shah, founder of RJB Diamonds, and Stephen Cole, president of Spicer Cole Fine Jewellers.
Another 12 industry members round out the board, including some members who had previously served on the JVC and CJA Boards.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Oct. 10, 2017 to add information about the general manager position that was given to National Jeweler post-publication.
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