Beryl Raff recently retired as the chairman and chief executive officer at Helzberg Diamonds, a Berkshire Hathaway company. She will continue to advise and consult the company’s executive team as non-executive chairman of the board. Ms. Beryl graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and earned her MBA from Drexel University. She is widely recognized throughout the retail industry as a strategic leader and strong multi-store/channel retail executive.
Previously, Beryl served as J.C. Penney’s executive vice president, general merchandise manager for the Fine Jewelry Division. During her service at J.C. Penney, she was the first general manager ever to receive the J.C. Penney Chairman’s Award, the company’s highest tribute to managerial excellence – an honor she received multiple times during her service there. Before joining the J.C. Penney organization, Beryl served as chairman and CEO of Zale Corporation.
Beryl began her career with R. H. Macy & Company in 1975. During her 19 years with the Macy organization, she moved steadily upward, holding positions as buyer, merchandise manager and store manager. In 1983, she became divisional merchandise manager for costume and bridge jewelry, and then held positions as vice president and divisional merchandise manager for fine jewelry, group vice president for costume, bridge and fine jewelry, and finally senior vice president and general merchandise manager for Macy’s East bridge and fine jewelry and lingerie.
In 1999, the Women’s Jewelry Association named her to its Lifetime Hall of Fame and, in 2002, the American ORT Jewelry Industry presented her with their Community Achievement Award. Beryl is the 1999 and 2006 recipient of the UJA – Federation of NY – Diamond, Jewelry and Watch Division’s “Leadership Award of Excellence.” She was inducted into National Jeweler’s Retailer Hall of Fame in the Majors category in 2009. In 2013, she was honored as a Women Who Mean Business by The Kansas City Business Journal and with the American Gem Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her impeccable service and outstanding contributions to the jewelry industry throughout her career.
Beryl serves on the boards of the Larry H. Miller Company as a member of the HR & Compensation Committee and the Nominating & Governance Committee; Academy Sports + Outdoor, serving as chair of the Compensation Committee; and Helen of Troy as a member of the Audit Committee. She served on the board of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. for eight years. While there, Beryl was a member of the Compensation Committee and chairman of the Governance/Nomination Committee. She served for 10 years on the Board of Jo-Ann Stores Inc., four of which she served as chairman of the Compensation Committee until the company was taken private. She also served as a member of the Compensation Committee while on the board at Michaels Stores. Beryl has also served on the National Board of Make-A-Wish Foundation and was a member of the Compensation Committee. Beryl formerly served on the Board of the National Association of Corporate Directors (Heartland Chapter). Her industry affiliations include past chairman of The Jewelers Vigilance Committee as well as membership on Jewelers’ Circular Keystone the Advisory Board and formerly Jewelers of America.
Beryl is also a member of the International Women’s Forum, Women Corporate Directors and in 2013 was inducted into Women Who Mean Business, a Kansas City organization sponsored by The Kansas City Business Journal.
