Brian C. Land (pictured) has left his role as executive director of the Canadian Jewellers Association (CJA), the trade group announced Tuesday.

According to the association, Land had fulfilled his 18-month contract to serve as the group’s executive director. He will continue to be involved with the CJA as a freelance writer, it added.

Carla Adams, currently an office manager for the association, will step in and serve as the CJA’s executive director on an interim basis until a permanent successor is named. The group said it expects to pick that person by the middle of January 2019.

Land became head of the association last year after another trade group, Jewellers Vigilance Canada, announced it was merging with the CJA.

Before becoming head of the CJA, Land had more than 20 years of experience in Canadian retail management, working at two of the country’s most prominent retail chains. His experience includes stints as the vice president of sales and operations at Peoples Jewellers and division vice president, retail, for Henry Birks & Sons.

In a statement, Marco Miserendino, chairman of the CJA board of directors, hailed Land’s contributions to the organization.

“Brian Land was engaged primarily to assist in managing the amalgamation of the Canadian Jewellers Association with Jewellers Vigilance Canada,” he said. “The knowledge and skill he brought to that [task] was of great assistance. The successful completion of that assignment now enables both Brian and the association to determine and pursue their respective future directions.”

Miserendino, the managing director and co-owner of Montreal jewelry store Bijouterie Italienne, was appointed chairman of the CJA board of directors for 2018 and 2019 in August.

Based in Toronto, the Canadian Jewellers Association is considered Canada’s premier jewelry trade association. The group celebrated its 100^th anniversary this year.

(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Jewellers Association)

Rob Bates

JCK News Director