People

Robert J. DiNicola, chairman and chief executive officer of Zale Corp. since April 1994, gave the CEO duties to Beryl Raff, Zale president, on Sept. 7. Raff was also elected to the company’s board of directors. DiNicola will continue as Zale chairman, focusing on “strategic opportunities [and] global issues” affecting Zale. The change is “designed to facilitate an orderly transition [and] is strategic and long-term in nature,” said DiNicola, who called Raff “an outstanding partner who has worked very closely with me on every aspect of the business.”

Several appointments have been announced at Cartier. Karen Hickey has been named account manager for Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, San Diego, and Orange County, Calif. She has more than 10 years’ experience in the field of luxury goods and jewelry retailing. Hamida Belkadi has been named manager of Cartier’s new boutique on Madison Avenue in New York.

Christie’s has made senior management changes to its European and U.K. operations. François Curiel, who has been responsible for Christie’s jewelry sales worldwide for the past 10 years, has been named executive chairman of Christie’s Europe. He helped establish Christie’s New York operations and set up its jewelry department in the United States in 1977. He returned to Europe as managing director in 1989, when he joined the senior executive board of Christie’s International plc. Christopher Balfour has been named chairman of Christie’s United Kingdom. Balfour is a former director of Hambros Bank, Christie’s merchant bankers for more than 20 years. Lisa King, who has been with Christie’s since 1996, has been named managing director of Christie’s United Kingdom.

James K. Chan has been promoted to executive vice president, merchandising, at Bulova Corp., Woodside, N.Y. Chan has been with the company since 1986. In 1994, he became merchandising vice president, with responsibility for the creative direction of Bulova’s three main watch brands—Accutron, Bulova, and Caravelle.

Debora Levine has been promoted to district manager at the Rogers and Hollands chain in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area.

Robert L. Heiser Sr., 78, of Hannibal, Mo., a local optometrist and owner of Crescent Jewelry since 1945, died July 16. He began working at the store in 1933 and served there as an optometrist from 1942 to 1965, when the store included an optometry business. His son, Robert L. Heiser Jr., will continue to run the store.