Zale Corp. named Yuval Braverman to its board of directors. He is currently the chairman and chief executive officer of J. & J. Zaidman, Inc. a diamond wholesaler.

Braverman, 52, co-founded J. & J. Zaidman, Inc. in 1981. The company deals in both rough and polished diamonds with offices in Antwerp and New York. Earlier in his career, he was president of the Retail Sales Division for Gematic International, Inc. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland.

“With nearly 30 years of experience in the diamond industry, Yuval will contribute unique insight into the business as we strive to be the best in diamonds,” said John B. Lowe, Jr., Zale Corp. chairman. “With this addition to the board, we now have a full complement of members with diverse backgrounds and expertise that will help generate an attractive value for Zale shareholders over the long-term.”

Zale Corp., Dallas, is a leading specialty retailer of fine jewelry in North America, operating approximately 2,150 retail locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, as well as online. Zale Corp’s brands include Zales Jewelers, Zales Outlet, Gordon’s Jewelers, Peoples Jewellers, Mappins Jewellers and Piercing Pagoda. Zale also operates online at www.zales.com and www.gordonsjewelers.com.

JCK