Helzberg Diamonds has appointed a new chief marketing officer, Ellen Junger, and named a new ad agency of record, Carmichael Lynch, according to a statement posted on the ad  agency’s website.

Junger (pictured) worked last year as chief customer and marketing officer for Payless ShoeSource as that retailer emerged from Chapter 11, according to her LinkedIn profile. Until 2016, she served as chief marketing officer and senior vice president, corporate brand development for Hallmark Cards.

Junger is Helzberg’s third chief marketing officer in a little more than a year. Becky Higgins, a Helzberg veteran (who also spent time at Zale), served in the position until January 2017. She was replaced by another Helzberg veteran, Jan Steck, whose title was chief digital and marketing officer, according to LinkedIn. She, too, has left the company, sources said.

On top of that, another Helzberg marketing exec, Pat Duncan, who served as senior vice president, marketing, and chief digital officer, left last year to join Party City, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Junger said that she has “always been a fan of Helzberg Diamonds as a company with a strong legacy of success and leadership in jewelry retail, but also as a consumer.”

In addition, Minneapolis-based ad agency Carmichael Lynch has won Helzberg’s creative, social, design, influencer, and analytics accounts following a competitive review.

The ad agency will debut new work for Helzberg Diamonds this spring, it said.

“As we evolve the Helzberg Diamonds brand, we’re looking to disrupt the sea of sameness in the jewelry industry while sharing our ‘I Am Loved’ narrative in new ways,” said Helzberg Diamonds CEO Beryl Raff in the statement.

Based in Kansas City, Mo., Helzberg Diamonds is owned by Warren Buffet’s conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway. Generally considered the country’s third-largest jewelry retailer, it has been headed by Raff since 2009.

(Photo courtesy of Carmichael Lynch)

Rob Bates

JCK News Director