JWA 2021 Jewellery Industry Best Practices

social media and digital platforms as her tools, she pivoted quickly in order to reach out to customers. “Through social media, our relationship with customers grew stronger as we learned to trust each other despite the physical distance between us,” she shares. PEOPLE FIRST Knowing that she is not alone in these endeavours, the head of the company invested in staff training, especially among colleagues who did not have the luxury of finishing their studies. “We help inspire the younger generation to be creative and equip them with values and skills by training them in the craft of gemstone-cutting,” explains Perera. She also goes above and beyond her responsibilities as an employer by ensuring that every member of her team has access to food, shelter, electricity and transportation. As a result, employees stay with the company for longer periods of time. “Our culture enables us to have a united front and focus on what we need to achieve together, even in difficult times,” says Perera. Her concern goes well beyond the four corners of her company, too, as seen in the advocacies she supports. Under her leadership, Brilliant Cuts planted around 1,100 trees along riverbeds, gave a villageaccess tocleandrinking water, provided computers to schools and minimised wastes from the company’s day-to-day operations. Ultimately, this visionary leader has consistently ushered the business into a period of sustained growth since 2018. In 2020, it increased revenues by 54 percent and profits by 4.3 percent. Its homegrown Lustre Facebook and Instagram pages registered hundreds of thousands in total reach and engagement, and accumulated hundreds of new followers. On top of these, she and her company earned a string of prestigious accolades, including being an Honouree at the Jewellery World Awards. Altogether, these numbers and awards serve as a testament to Perera’s leadership skills, creativity, innovative spirit and values. “The pandemic has transformed the role of a leader. We need to think of our partners, clients and employees. We must be there for them to help them cope with their losses or celebrate their gains,” she says. 1. R A Vindya Roshani Perera, Managing Director of Brilliant Cuts (Pvt) Ltd 2. Solidarity in action 3. The ‘Slytherin Eye’ gem design captures the mystic elegance of the serpent 4. Happy employees make happy customers 4 2 3