JNA Awards 2012 Jewellery Industry Best Practices

25 JNA AWARDS 2012 BIJU PATNAIK Regional Head, Asia International Diamond & Jewellery Group ABN AMRO Group Biju Patnaik is the designated Country Executive of ABN AMRO Bank in India and the Regional Head of the bank’s diamond and jewellery business in Asia. He has almost 30 years’ experience in corporate and investment banking as well as bank management with overall country responsibility. His illustrious career in banking started in 1984 when he joined the State Bank Group as a Management Trainee, after completing his Master’s Degree. Patnaik has also served as Regional Manager, Asia for the International Diamond & Jewellery Group of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). MATTHEW RUNCI President and Chief Executive Officer Jewelers of America Matthew Runci has led Jewelers of America (JA) as President and Chief Executive Officer since 1995. Under his leadership, JA has become the jewellery industry leader in public affairs in Washington, focusing on vital legislative and regulatory issues affecting the industry’s interests. On behalf of JA, a founding member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), Runci has served as Chairman of the RJC board of directors since its establishment in 2005. He was also involved in the establishment of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the passage of the Clean Diamond Trade Act in the US Congress in 2003. WILSON YUEN President International Colored Gemstone Association Wilson Yuen, Managing Director of Able Lapidary & Jewelry Ltd in Hong Kong, is the current President of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA). His term runs from 2009 to 2013. A member of ICA since 1987, Yuen has served on its board since 2005, chairing its China Task Force. The said task force was instrumental in helping open the Chinese market to the global gemstone trade. He is also a member of the Task Force on Gemstone Testing under the Hong Kong Accreditation Board Working Service. Yuen started his gemstone career as a cutter in 1971 and set up his own business in 1979. CHAIR OF THE JUDGING PANEL LETITIA CHOW MEI LAI Founder of Jewellery News Asia (JNA) Director of Business Development – Jewellery Group UBM Asia Ltd Letitia CHOW Mei Lai, founder of Jewellery News Asia (JNA) , is the Director of Business Development – Jewellery Group at UBM Asia Ltd. She started her affiliation with the jewellery industry in 1980 when she was appointed Executive-in-Charge of the De Beers Diamond Promotion Service in Southeast Asia. In August 1983, together with veteran journalist Peter Brindisi, she launched JNA . In 1994, the magazine became a part of the UBM Group. Later that same year, she launched the Chinese edition of JNA and in 2006, started Silver Styles .