GIA Expands Business Development Team

RAPAPORT... The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has increased its focus on retail with the expansion of its business development department in North America. The organization has appointed former Tiffany & Co. director Matthew Morabito and industry veteran Daniel VanDrew as directors of business development. They will work with team leader Richard Pesqueira, vice president of business development for North America and brands, to market the GIA's education offerings and sales tools that help retailers and brands meet their customers' needs, the institute said. "Our goal is to serve our valued clients in new and meaningful ways, supporting their success with the latest and most relevant GIA products and services," Pesqueira explained. Morabito spent five years at Tiffany & Co., where he was most recently a senior director,leading the Love and Engagement floor at the brand's flagship store in New York.VanDrew has more than 27 years of experience in the watch and jewelry industry, including for the past 18 as key account manager and director of national accounts at LVMH and TAG Heuer.Image (from left): Richard Pesqueira, Daniel VanDrew, and Matthew Morabito. (GIA)