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Brand News: Mémoire Taps Peter Smith As President; Mark Mazzarese Joins Picchiotti; More January 16, 2019 (0 comments)
Peter Smith Named President of Mémoire
New York—Peter Smith (left), longtime industry executive and retail author, has been named as the new president of Mémoire, a division of Chow Tai Fook.
A native of Ireland, Smith’s career in the U.S. jewelry industry launched in the early 1980s, as a store manager for Whitehall Jewelers. It was this experience that helped formulate the basis of his first book, Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent, a highly sought-after book among jewelers and other retailers.
Smith spent eight years at Tiffany & Co. as a sales manager, and a decade at Hearts On Fire, and enjoyed a brief stint at Leo Schachter before heading up Vibhor, a private-label diamond jewelry supplier to independent jewelers, for almost four years.
As executive vice president of brand development at Hearts On Fire, he overhauled the sales network and established a framework for independent retailers to be successful with the line. His appointment to Mémoire is a homecoming of sorts: Hearts On Fire acquired the wedding band maker in 2004; both brands are now owned by Chow Tai Fook. At Mémoire, Smith is responsible for brand building and private-label initiatives in North America.
In addition to Hiring Squirrels, Smith also penned a follow-up tome titled Sell Something: Principles and Perspectives for Engaged Retail Salespeople, and has a website titled hiringsquirrels.com. He has been a columnist for National Jeweler and for The Centurion Newsletter.
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Picchiotti Taps Mazzarese For U.S. Team
Valenza, Italy—Italian jewelry brand PICCHIOTTI is expanding its American team with the addition of former retail executive Mark A. Mazzarese as its second U.S. sales representative. Mazzarese will join U.S. chief agent Barry Meyrowitz as of February 1, to help extend the PICCHIOTTI presence across North America. The 52-year-old brand is known for its patent-pending Xpandable Collection and its one-of-a-kind gemstone pieces.
“My family and I are delighted to welcome Mark to the PICCHIOTTI team,” says president and founder Giuseppe Picchiotti. “His unique expertise and leadership skills, coupled with his lengthy experience in the fine jewelry industry, ensure that he will grow our business with the standard of excellence and customer service for which our brand is known.”
Mazzarese formerly served as president of Mazzarese Fine Jewelry in Leawood, KS, from 1998 to 2017. He has also served on the boards of local business and philanthropic organizations in the Kansas City area. He brings a unique retail-oriented approach to his work with PICCHIOTTI and will take responsibility for the western portion of North America.