Scott Kay Inc. Appoints David Minster As CEO

NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Kay, a leader in the bridal jewelry industry today announced that the Company has appointed David Minster as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Advisors, effective immediately. Minster brings more than 25 years of experience in luxury goods and consumer goods businesses that demonstrated growth while he was serving in executive roles. 

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130819/NY65641)

Credited as the pioneer of the designer bridal jewelry category, and an innovator in men's and ladies fine fashion jewelry, Scott Kay has been delighting customers with his designs for more than 30 years.  Scott Kay will remain as Chairman and Chief Designer.  The transition of the CEO position to Minster will allow Scott Kay to focus on the art and designs of the Company, as well as afford him the opportunity to pursue his other passions of writing, public speaking, and industry teaching. 

"I have spent more than a decade looking for a business partner to run the company on a day-to-day basis to enable me to focus on the art and design of our products," said Scott Kay, Founder of the Company, "and I have found that partner in David.  David's background and expertise within the consumer goods and luxury sectors made what would have otherwise been a very hard decision simple and obvious.  His track record demonstrates consistent results and profound success.  A founding entrepreneur can only wear so many hats before he reaches a certain level.  With David onboard, we will be able to far exceed the vision I have for the brand.  This is a pivotal moment for our company -- world class business meets world class art."

Minster, 51, spent more than 12 years at fashion jeweler David Yurman, running Operations and Technology for the company during many years of double-digit growth.  As a member of their senior executive team, he was instrumental in many initiatives that Scott Kay is keenly interested in, particularly Direct-to-Consumer and Global Operations in both supply chain and retail. 

Paul Blum, Former CEO of David Yurman, stated: "From my work with David, I suspect he will look very carefully at building out the Scott Kay infrastructure for growth.  With David's rare combination of Supply Chain, Technology, Retail, Online, and Corporate Restructuring experience, I'm sure he will be very successful in his new role."

Andy Johnson, CEO of Diamond Cellar expressed:  "There are only a few true artisan brands within the jewelry industry.  There are even fewer that have partnered with top ranking business executives within that group.  Scott Kay is a true Artisan and a Master of his craft.  David Minster knows how to work with creative talent and allow it to thrive within a proven business model.  The combination is sure to be a wonderful retail success."

"Clearly the imperative is to establish structure to all of the opportunities that Scott Kay currently has before it," Minster said.  "You're dealing with a matrix of omni-channel opportunities, geographic opportunities and a myriad of new category possibilities.  We'll be able to dramatically impact performance and growth by focusing on key initiatives, building great teams to execute them, and by allowing Scott to focus on the tremendous body of unpublished designs in his studio."

ABOUT DAVID MINSTER

David Minster was most recently Chief Operating Officer of David Yurman.  He began his career there in 2001 as the Chief Information Officer and added the dual responsibility of Operations in 2005.  His highly successful operational and technology advancements were proven at David Yurman for over twelve years, and brought him industry recognition as well.  Minster is a highly regarded speaker and has spoken internationally.  He has provided guidance and perspective to the financial community on retail and omni-channel.  He also sits on the Board of Advisors at Profitect, a pioneer in Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics in Retail.  Prior to Yurman, Minster spent 14 years at global consumer goods giant Unilever serving in managerial roles in their Elizabeth Arden, Lever Brothers Canada, Chesebrough-Pond's Canada, Unilever Military and Export, and Thomas J. Lipton companies.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from The Ohio State University.

ABOUT SCOTT KAY

For over three decades, Scott Kay has been known for his highly passionate and pioneering spirit.  Scott Kay resurrected platinum in the U.S., was named international spokesperson for the rebirth of palladium, elected spokesperson by DeBeers for their Millennium Diamond launch and has positioned BioBlu27 Cobalt^M as the premium, alternative metal of our day.  He has been credited for launching the world's first bridal designer advertising campaign and maintains the first position within the most read bridal titles.  Scott Kay continues to be a driving force of fine jewelry designs and innovation for men's and ladies wearable art.  The most celebrated artisan of the jewelry industry today, Scott Kay has exclusively appeared on the fine jewelry industry's most read covers, and has been featured online and on countless television shows with fellow celebrities. He authors a consumer lifestyle column in Brides Magazine and is a highly desired industry speaker and presenter.  He recently debuted SK66, a flagship retail destination for art, featuring over 3,500 square feet of fine men's and ladies jewelry. www.scottkay.com

Interview Requests: Suzanne Messini, +1 201 280 0100, ext 177 or [email protected]

SOURCE Scott Kay