Dave Meleski, President, and CEO of Richline Group, has been elected as the new Chair of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), effective from 4th March 2024. Meleski follows in the footsteps of David Bouffard who stepped down as Chair, having been elected in 2018 to two three-year terms in the role.
Meleski stated, “It is a critical time for the RJC to continue to grow and lead the global supply chain in setting standards for our industry. Richline has been involved at the Board and committee level since the beginning of the RJC, and as a global manufacturing company with retail customers around the world, we have helped promote the importance of the RJC as our singular voice for compliance standards since its inception. I am excited to follow David Bouffard as Chair and thank him for his leadership these past six years. I look forward to working with our entire Board of Directors to push the RJC to even greater reach in my term as Chair.”
Vipul Shah, Chairman of the Gem & Jewellery Promotion Council (GJEPC), said, “We look forward to collaborating with Dave Meleski and the RJC team in promoting sustainability, ethical sourcing, and transparency across the global jewellery supply chain. His leadership will undoubtedly inspire positive change and contribute to the growth and prosperity of our industry. And his wealth of experience and vision will undoubtedly steer the RJC towards greater achievements and advancements.”
Melanie Grant, RJC Executive Director, who will report directly to Meleski, said, “Thanks for David for providing great wisdom and support as Chair during my first year as Executive Director. I’ll be sad to see him go but excited at the prospect of this new era under Dave’s leadership as the RJC goes from strength to strength.”
David Bouffard, RJC Chair, and Signet Fellow of Industry Affairs, said, “It has been an honour to serve as the Chair of the RJC for six years – a truly challenging yet rewarding experience of a lifetime, especially representing Signet, one of the RJC’s Founding Members. Companies like Signet and Richline along with the valued team members and Boards of Directors over the past 20 years have taken the RJC from a 14-Founding Member organisation when launched in 2005 to one that is growing stronger each month with over 1,800 members to date.”