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A Trio of Jewels from the 3 Gem Award Nominees for Jewelry DesignOur Pieces of the Week honor the 2026 nominees for the Gem Award for Jewelry Design, Silvia Furmanovich, Cece Fein-Hughes, and Catherine Sarr.
MajorsMay 06, 2014
Appointments: Jude Frances, Sterling, Movado Group
A new president at Jude Frances jewelry and appointments at Sterling Jewelers and the Movado Group are among the recent career moves in the jewelry industry.
New York--A new president at Jude Frances jewelry and appointments at Sterling Jewelers and the Movado Group are among the recent career moves in the jewelry industry.
Barbara Laird is now president of Jude Frances Jewelry, following co-founder and designer Frances Gadbois’ decision to sell her portion of the company in March.
Laird will oversee all aspects of sales and product development and play a role in the strategic direction and expansion of the brand.
She is the former vice president of sales at Jude Frances and also has held positions at Armenta, Roberto Lee Morris and Slane.
Jude Frances co-founder Jude Steele now has sole ownership of the brand, having purchased the company in full. The brand’s design and sales teams are fully intact.
Robert Knapp and Bryan Morgan have new positions with Akron, Ohio-based Sterling Jewelers Inc.
Knapp has been named senior vice president of the newly created position of strategic initiative integration and distribution center. He will spearhead business integration opportunities and assume accountability for developing a long-term property acquisition and development strategy for the company’s expanding home office.
Morgan is now the senior vice president of corporate supply chain management and facilities, and will be responsible for overall procurement including strategic sourcing, warehouse fulfillment, manufacturing and repair, and the company’s facilities, security and dining services.
Julian Addison has been named president of Movado Group Asia Pacific, where he will assume responsibility for leading the division’s teams, developing corporate strategies for the region and strengthening the regional alignment of coordination of the company’s brands and operations.
He will be co-located in both Hong Kong and the United States and will report to Movado Group President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Cote.
Addison joined Movado Group in 2004 and has held various leadership roles in finance and strategy as well as sales and inventory planning. He most recently served as head of global value chain operations.
Advanced Chemical has appointed Steve Smith to East Coast account executive, where he will work with plating companies, jewelry manufacturers, dental laboratories, electroplating manufacturing operations and other industries handling refined precious metals.
April Iris Van der Veken of Rosy Blue has been awarded
Officer of the Order of Leopold II for her role in initiating the Global Compact Network Belgium and her work on promoting corporate social responsibility in Belgium and abroad, with a focus on human rights.
Officer of the Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium given for meritorious service to the Sovereign of Belgium.
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