Appointment
Pritesh Patel appointed as President and CEO of GIA
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has announced the appointment of Pritesh Patel as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 4, 2025. Patel, who currently serves as GIA’s Chief Operating Officer, will take over the role from Susan M. Jacques, who will retire at the end of this year after more than a decade in the leadership position
The announcement follows a global search by GIA’s Board of Governors and marks a significant leadership transition at the nearly century-old institution. Patel becomes one of the few leaders to rise through the institute’s ranks, having joined GIA in 2015 as Chief Information Officer before being promoted to COO in 2017.
In his new role, Patel will lead GIA’s global operations, which span education, laboratory services, research, and instrument development. Outgoing CEO Susan Jacques, who has been with GIA in various leadership capacities for over 30 years, will continue as a strategic advisor until her formal retirement in December 2025. During her tenure, Jacques oversaw GIA’s navigation through major industry and global shifts — including the rise of lab-grown diamonds, the COVID-19 pandemic, and evolving consumer expectations — all while reinforcing the institute’s core mission of protecting public trust in gems and jewellery.
Appointment
KISNA Appoints Nitin Naik as Chief Technology Officer to Drive Digital Innovation and Omnichannel Scale
Strengthening leadership to power retail expansion, digital commerce integration, and seamless online-offline growth across India
KISNA Diamond and Gold Jewellery, the flagship brand of the Hari Krishna Group, has announced the appointment of Nitin Naik as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The appointment strengthens the brand’s leadership team as it accelerates retail expansion and omnichannel growth across India.
In his role, he will lead KISNA’s technology function across digital commerce, retail systems, supply chain integration and data infrastructure. He will work closely with business and operations teams to build scalable platforms, enhance customer experience and enable seamless online-offline operations.
He brings over 25 years of experience in enterprise technology, global delivery and cybersecurity. He has spent most of his career at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), leading large transformation programs in multiple domains across global markets. Most recently, as Delivery Head – Cybersecurity, he led end-to-end cybersecurity service delivery for growth markets and global public sector and education clients, overseeing governance, financial performance and strategic client engagement.
Parag Shah, CEO, KISNA Diamond and Gold Jewellery, said, “KISNA is scaling rapidly across markets, formats and consumer segments. Technology will be central to sustaining this growth. From retail integration to omnichannel execution, we are building platforms that enable speed and consistency at scale. Nitin’s appointment strengthens our ability to drive this transformation with sharper focus.”
Nitin Naik, Chief Technology Officer, KISNA Diamond and Gold Jewellery, added, “The opportunity to build technology capabilities for a fast-scaling retail brand like KISNA is compelling. I look forward to enabling integrated platforms that support retail growth, partner ecosystems and seamless consumer journeys.”
The appointment comes amid strong growth momentum at KISNA. Over the past year, the brand has strengthened its leadership team with key appointments across finance and marketing, expanded its offline retail footprint across franchise and exclusive showroom formats, and scaled its Mumbai corporate office to support rising operational and network expansion.
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