Annoushka Names Zia Zareem-Slade CEO
LONDON — British jewelry brand Annoushka has named Zia Zareem-Slade chief executive officer, effective immediately.
She will be taking over from the brand’s current managing director, Tim Hort, who is due to step down later this year after 25 years with the brand.
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“I am thrilled that Zia is joining the business and believe this marks a pivotal chapter in our journey. Her expertise in digital, brand and customer experience will be invaluable as we steer Annoushka toward its future,” said Annoushka Ducas, the founder and creative director of the jewelry brand, who is planning to focus all her time on designing.
Zareem-Slade was previously chief creative officer at the Swiss contemporary and modern art gallery Hauser & Wirth, as well as holding prominent positions at Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges, where she led the brand’s digital arms.
“The prospect of enhancing the brand’s visibility and fostering its growth fills me with excitement. I am looking forward to working with Annoushka and the dedicated team to unlock the businesses full potential and usher in an exhilarating new chapter,” she said.
John Ayton, chairman of Annoushka who is married to Ducas, said the brand is “currently experiencing robust sales” driven by the Knuckle collection launch.
It is understood that the brand has been searching for a while for a CEO.
Ducas launched Links of London in 1990 and sold the company in 2006 to launch her eponymous label to sell high-end jewelry to her friends and those within her inner circles.
Ducas has ties within the creative industry to the British royal family, and a few years back, became a patron of Women Supporting Women, an arm of King Charles’ charity The Prince’s Trust. The program was set up to help young women who face disadvantage and adversity.
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