41 leaders from every global gem and jewelry sector gathered recently for a transformative educational experience at the 2023 GIA Global Leadership Program at Harvard Business School (HBS). The program, held from June 19 to June 22 on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., offered an exclusive experience to explore challenges and opportunities for the gem and jewelry industry using the HBS case study method in a dynamic interchange between renowned HBS faculty members and industry peers.

The custom-designed program, entitled Building Purpose and Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty, focused on the collective experiences of diverse sectors of the jewelry industry during the pandemic, examining the key lessons learned and how to apply them to ensure the vitality and relevance of businesses and organizations for a thriving future.

The 2024 GIA Global Leadership Program at Harvard will take place in June 2024.

“The GIA Global Leadership Program left me inspired and motivated - from Harvard’s beautiful campus, fascinating case studies and enticing professors, to GIA’s leadership team and my fellow classmates, leaders of the jewelry industry,” said Nadja Swarovski, founder of Pegasus Private Capital. “The week provided key insight into today’s relevant topics – from sustainable business practices, human leadership, purpose-led organizations, to digitalization and AI and how their evolution affects us all.”

As the industry rebounds from the lasting impacts of geopolitical conflicts and economic disruptions, the 2023 GIA Global Leadership Program was a platform to gain insights, explore innovative strategies and foster resilience.

“The program is enriching on multiple levels. Not only is it an immersive best-in-class educational experience with the best-known brands in the world, but the curated case studies were bespoke to the most pressing issues in our gem and jewelry industry and led by the preeminent business and organizational scholars in the United States,” said Tiffany Stevens, CEO and general counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee. “Additionally, the peers selected for the program from around the globe drove vigorous debate and discussion as well as phenomenal networking opportunities.”

“The mission of the Harvard Business School is to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. There are very few custom programs that bring together participants who represent the entirety of the industry supply chain. The GIA Global Leadership program provides participants with a front-row seat to learn about the challenges and opportunities that confront the industry,” said David Ager, co-chair of the GIA/HBS program. “The conversations are real, at times energized, but all undertaken in the spirit of supporting the evolution and sustainment of the gemological and jewelry industry.”

General information about the GIA Global Leadership Program is available at GIA.edu/gia-global-leadership-program-at-harvard. Participation in the program is limited and by invitation only.

Participants of the 2023 GIA Global Leadership Program (alphabetical order by first name): Adriaan Olivier, Signet Jewelers; Alexander David Gul, A.Gul KG; Amish Mehta, Amipi Inc.; Bart Marks, Fire and Ice Diamonds and Rogers Jewelry Co.; Cathryn Ramirez, GIA; Cheshta Virani, Dharmadandan diamond pvt ltd; David Berdugo, Blue Nile - James Allen; Divij Kothari, Purity Jewelry USA INC; Duncan Pay, GIA; Emily Graffagnino, Stuller; Jay Sanghvi, KP Sanghvi; Leanne Kemp, Everledger; Lily Hill, Hill & Co.; Marcus ter Haar, GIA; Marina Garabetian, Raffi Jewellers Inc.; Mark Tapper, Tapper’s Jewelry; Matthew Schamroth, M. Schamroth & Sons; Mike Alexander, Jewelers Mutual; Nadja Swarovski, Pegasus Private Capital; Niveet Nagpal, Omi Privè; Parth Kakadia, Sheetal Jewellery House Llp; Pritesh Patel, GIA; Priyal Shanker, SJW Shivam Jewels pvt. Ltd.; Punit Mehta, Partner; Rebecca Foerster, Hearts on Fire; Richard Pesqueira, GIA; Riddhi Surana, Surana Brothers Group; Robert Hussa, Helzberg Diamonds; Rohit Dhamani, Dhamani Jewels; Ruth Benjamin-Thomas, Black Opal Direct; Sahag Arslanian, Arslanian Group NV; Sailesh Lakhi, Sailesh Lakhi; Sanat Bhindi, Bhindi Jewelers; Sherri Hendricks, Rapaport USA; Shreyans Dholakia, Shree Ramkrishna Exports Private Ltd; Sudhir Kakadia, Sheetal Group Usa Inc; Sumit Dangi, Jewelers Mutual Group; Susan Jacques, GIA; Tammy Storino, GIA; Tiffany Stevens, Jewelers Vigilance Committee; Tom Moses, GIA.