Susan M. Jacques, president and CEO of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), has received the Stanley Schechter Award from the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC).
Established in 2002, the honour recognizes industry professionals who have supported JVC’s mission to maintain ethics and integrity through legal compliance.
Joel Schechter, the son of the award’s namesake, presented the award at JVC’s annual meeting and luncheon on Jan. 10 in New York City.
“Susan is a true industry treasure who deeply embodies Stanley’s core values of integrity, hard work, commitment, and industry involvement,” he said. “Her constant striving for excellence has not only been a gift for GIA, but for the industry, and we are blessed to have her at the helm of what is arguably our most important entity.”
A fellow of the Gemmological Society of Great Britain, Jacques first joined the GIA Board of Governors in 1996. She served as chair from 2008 to 2013 before being appointed president and CEO in 2014.
Jacques previously served as CEO of Borsheims Fine Jewelry and Gifts in Omaha, Neb., for 20 years, where she reported directly to Warren Buffet. In 1997, she was inducted into National Jeweler’s Retailer Hall of Fame, and, in 2010, she received Women’s Jewelry Association’s (WJA’s) lifetime achievement award.
“As we embark on digital transformations to stay relevant, we must remember the fundamentals of our business have not changed,” Jacques said. “We are all in the business of passion, emotion, love, and—most importantly—trust.
“As Warren Buffett told me when he asked me to be CEO of Borsheims Fine Jewelry, ‘It takes years to earn your reputation and only minutes to lose it.’”
