NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury artisan jeweler John Hardy today announced the advancement of three key executives as part of the company's continuing, successful transformation. In line with the Board and Management's structured succession plan, current CEO Robert Hanson will assume the role of Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors; Kareem Gahed, who currently serves as Chief Revenue Officer, will assume the role of CEO, and Audrey Finci, who is currently COO/CFO, will take on the role of President - COO/CFO.

These changes will occur over the next three quarters, with Mr. Gahed assuming immediate oversight for Merchandising and Marketing along with his current accountabilities for Commercial Operations. Mr. Hanson will continue to oversee Product Creative, Operations and Finance through a transition period, after which Mr. Gahed will assume full accountability for company operations.

Under Mr. Hanson's leadership, John Hardy has developed a robust and strongly growing direct-to-consumer retail and e-commerce business while improving its overall global operations. Driven by the elevation of its women's collections, the expansion of the men's collection, its 'Made For Legends' marketing platform dedicated to inspiring women to boldly express their personal power and individuality through jewelry, and the rapid growth of the company's e-commerce, boutiques and international businesses to compliment NA wholesale, John Hardy is well positioned in its trajectory to be the world's leading sustainable, artisanal jewelry brand.

Mr. Hanson said, "John Hardy has been executing a transformation plan focused on elevating our authentic, sustainable, hand-crafted, Bali-originated contemporary luxury jewelry brand, and we have emerged as a distinctive, global, omni-channel jeweler driving double digit revenue and earnings growth. I am proud of all that we have accomplished together in the last five years, and I look forward to working closely with Kareem and Audrey in my new role to build on this foundation to continue delivering extraordinary products and service to our customers, while driving long-term growth for John Hardy."

With more than 20 years of specialty retail experience, Mr. Gahed has held executive leadership roles comprising operations, business development and licensing functions with leading global companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters. In his current role at John Hardy, he oversees global eCom, boutiques, wholesale and international business partnerships. Ms. Finci, who has extensive operational, financial and business transformation experience at leading global apparel, retail and consumer goods companies such as Levi's, GAP and Disney, will continue to partner closely with Mr. Hanson and Mr. Gahed on the further transformation of John Hardy's business.

"It is an honor to become the next CEO of John Hardy, and I am excited for the opportunity to continue to work closely with Robert, Audrey and the entire board and management team as we continue to build momentum," said Mr. Gahed. "We have significant opportunities ahead to continue to grow our business, and I am confident that we will further elevate our unique and meaningful brand and have a lasting impact on our customers, artisans and communities globally."

About Robert Hanson
Mr. Hanson has been CEO of John Hardy since 2014, and is a Director of the Company, as well as a Director of Constellation Brands, Urban Outfitters and Canopy Growth Corporation. Prior to John Hardy, Mr. Hanson served as CEO of American Eagle Outfitters and was Global Brand President of Levi's.

About Kareem Gahed
Mr. Gahed has served as John Hardy's Chief Revenue Officer since January 2019 and has been with John Hardy for three years. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President of Wholesale Commercial Operations and Vice President of International after joining from American Eagle Outfitters, where he served as Vice President of Asia Pacific and Global Licensing, implementing strategic initiatives to create long term profitability.

About Audrey Finci
Ms. Finci, an experienced retail executive, joined John Hardy in 2014 and assumed the role of COO in 2017 before also taking on the role of CFO in 2019. She began her career in finance at The Walt Disney Company, where she increasingly took on additional financial and operational responsibilities throughout her 11-year tenure, rising to Executive Vice President for Disney's consumer products division. Before joining John Hardy, Ms. Finci served in corporate strategy and operations roles at leading global brands, including Levi Strauss & Co. and GAP Inc.

About John Hardy
Inspired by Bali and its time-honored jewelry-making traditions, Canadian artist John Hardy established an artisan collective in 1975 dedicated to creating one-of-a-kind jewelry and preserving the rich heritage of Bali. For over 40 years, our artisans have committed to making handcrafted jewelry with techniques passed down for generations, using vetted suppliers to ensure both diamonds and gemstones conform to our high ethical standards, as well as reclaimed silver and gold. Our passion for creating distinctive and meaningful jewelry is echoed by our dedication to building a sustainable future for our artisans and clients worldwide. For additional information on John Hardy, please visit www.JohnHardy.com.

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SOURCE John Hardy