Signet Shakes Up Internal Structure

RAPAPORT... Signet will implement a new organizational structurecomprising two separate reporting lines that will both answer topresident and chief customer officer Seb Hobbs (pictured).  The move is intended to strengthen Signet's efforts to"drive profitable comparable-store sales growth and deliver exceptionalcustomer experiences," said David Bouffard, Signet's vice president of corporate affairs. By creating individual reporting lines,the jeweler hopes to improve accountability, upgrade its expertise for innovating and transforming the company, and provide clear progression opportunities.  The new structure will create one reporting line for teams within each store brand, including Kay Jewelers, Zales/Peoples Jewellers, Jared andPiercing Pagoda. The second reporting line for functional teams will includemarketing, merchandising and store operations. Each team will have a leader who will provide asingle point of accountability. They will report directly to Hobbs.   Heading up the store teams are Bill Luth, executivegeneral manager and executive vice president, Kay Jewelers; Adriaan Olivier,senior vice president for strategic diamond outsourcing; David Gaynes, vicepresident of product development; Jamie Singleton, executive general managerand executive vice president, Zales and Peoples Jewellers; Kecia Caffie,general merchandise manager of Piercing Pagoda; and a yet-to-be-named executivegeneral manager for Jared.   The leaders of functional teams will be Katy Jones, executive vice president and head of store operations; Mark Censoprano, executive vice president and head of marketing; and an as-yet-unnamed head of merchandising.The changes to Signet's structure have not impactedthe group's UK businesses.