With its latest executive appointments, Signet Jewelers is investing deeply in its branding strategy with leaders who are both champions and experts at creating customer loyalty through education and entertainment.

Signet on Tuesday appointed a toy, fashion, and branding expert to serve as president of Zales and Banter divisions. Jamie Cygielman (pictured) will join Signet in this role on Aug. 24 in Dallas. Cygielman has more than 30 years of experience at companies including Mattel, Revlon, and Jones Apparel Group.

Her appointment comes less than a week after Signet confirmed it had hired former Tiffany & Co. executive Pam Cloud as the president of its luxury division, Blue Nile. Cloud also operates her own fine jewelry brand, Roseate; that brand will continue under separate leadership.

Zales and Banter are positioned within Signet’s Grow Brand Love strategy as jewelry brands centered on style and trend pieces. Zales is about modern, stackable, and affordable jewelry. Banter is positioned toward younger customers who are looking for fun and fashion with self-purchases like piercings and everyday jewelry.

Signet has positioned Blue Nile in recent months as its luxury brand, adding The Clear Cut and its white-glove, concierge service to its offerings. More importantly, The Clear Cut gave Signet Olivia Landau as a spokesperson.

Landau, who serves as a Blue Nile vice president as well as president of The Clear Cut, joined Signet in May. She and her husband, Kyle Simon, speak directly to consumers through her well-developed social-media presence about Blue Nile, natural diamonds, as well as engagement jewelry and trends.

Signet CEO J.K. Symancyk said in a statement that these appointments are part of his larger Grow Brand Love strategy to create distinctive brands with “clear value propositions and stronger connections to the customers they serve.”

“Jamie and Pam are accomplished leaders who understand how to unlock the potential of iconic brands through consumer insight, innovation, and disciplined execution,” Symancyk said in a statement. “Their appointment brings important new capabilities to Signet as we position Zales and Banter for their next phase of growth and accelerate Blue Nile’s transformation.”

Cygielman is known for building consumer brands that create long-term relationships with consumers. Most recently, she was the global head of dolls at Mattel and the general manager and president of American Girl. In this role, she helped revitalize American Girl, giving it a new strategy that boosted its profit and grew its consumer base.

She also worked on Mattel’s legendary Barbie brand and global dolls portfolio, investing in its brand positioning to evolve its products and connect them more deeply with shoppers, Signet said.

In a statement, Cygielman said she will start her work from Zales and Banter’s rich legacy and consumer connection.

“For more than a century, Zales has been part of countless celebrations and milestones, while Banter has built a strong following by helping customers express their individuality and style,” Cygielman said. “I am thrilled to be joining Signet at such an exciting and important time and look forward to working alongside the Signet leadership team and both brand teams to honor that heritage while bringing fresh relevance to these iconic brands and creating new ways for customers to celebrate and express their personal style.”

Simultaneous with its new appointments, Blue Nile on Tuesday debuted Ellipse, a 13-piece collection centered on sculptural rounded oval links in 14k gold with natural diamond pavé. The jewelry, which ranges from $1,200 to $14,500, is designed to be worn individually, stacked, or as matching sets, Blue Nile said in a statement.

(Photos courtesy of Signet Jewelers)

• Subscribe to the JCK News Daily
• Subscribe to the JCK Special Report
• Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
• Follow JCK on X: @jckmagazine
• Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine