Cameron Marks, a director of Percy Marks – a jewellery store established in Sydney in 1899 – has resigned. Marks joined the JAA’s board in May 2017 and until his resignation, was the longest continually serving director.
A brief stint with the JAA has also ended for Meredith Doig, who joined the board in September 2022. Her appointment was not without controversy.
Doig promotes herself as a board governance expert and her JAA profile page listed her as a 'Professional Company Director & Consultant'.
At the time of her appointment, she told Jeweller she was approached because the JAA was looking for someone outside the jewellery industry to provide this expertise.
It was later discovered that Doig was a friend of fellow JAA director Ronnie Bauer.
Furthermore, the Australian Securities Investments Commission (ASIC) recorded Doig as the company secretary of one of Bauer’s businesses, raising questions about the validity of her supposed independence.
None of this information was made public in the JAA’s media release announcing Doig’s appointment.
Additionally, despite providing extensive detail about her career as a board governance consultant, Doig’s biography on the JAA website failed to include this information.
New faces and the current configuration
According to the JAA website, two new jewellers have replaced Doig and Marks on the board. Jay Bartlett, managing director of Bartlett Master Jewellers, a retailer based in Townsville, Queensland, is now listed as a director.
Bartlett is joined on the six-person board by new director Stephen Schneider of Stephens Jewellers in Shepparton, Victoria.
The JAA advised in December that an annual general meeting was planned for March; however, no formal announcement has been made about the outcome of that meeting, including the details of these resignations and the appointment of new directors.
In fact, the ‘Update for JAA Members and Trade’ page has been removed from the JAA website, where the organisation has traditionally announced board changes and other significant developments.
Jeweller contacted JAA operations manager Megan Young to clarify the board changes; however, she did not respond.
Joshua Sharp, general manager of Ian Sharp Jewellery in Victoria, remains president. Sharp joined the JAA board in 2021 and was appointed president in 2022.
Ronnie Bauer of Klepners in Victoria remains vice president and is the longest-serving member of the JAA, having joined the organisation in 2011.
Bauer had a brief hiatus between 2016 and 2019 and his tenure at the JAA has not been without controversy.
Daniel Anania, general manager of Anania Jewellers in Sydney, joined the JAA board in 2023 and remains a director.
Finally, industry retiree Mary Storch, who joined the board in 2023, also remains listed as a director.
Groundhog Day
These new appointees are another example of an ongoing issue for the JAA, which was extensively detailed in the 2024 State of the Industry Report.
It’s important to note that the following information should not be read as criticism of Bartlett and Schneider, two new directors joining the board with valuable industry experience and who volunteer their time.
The fact that the JAA makes the unsubstantiated claim it represents the wider Australia jewellery industry predates their appointment.
With that said, a special resolution to amend the JAA Constitution was passed in November 2022 to allow the alteration of the board's composition. As a result, the extent to which the board can be fairly described as representative of the broader jewellery industry remains questionable at best.
The JAA website claims that the association “covers all areas of the jewellery industry - from manufacturing, wholesaling, distribution to retail.”
Despite this, small independent retailers continue to dominate the JAA board.
There are no directors representing the manufacturing, wholesaling, or distribution sectors, as has traditionally been the case and which was stipulated under the previous Constitution. Worse, the jewellery chains and the buying groups are also not represented on the board.
Following his appointment as the fifth director, Bartlett posted on social media: “As the peak trade association for all facets of the jewellery industry — from manufacturing and wholesaling to retail — the JAA plays a pivotal role in fostering unity, collaboration, and growth across our industry.”
Background reading: Is the current JAA board representative of the industry?
The 4 April announcement continues: “I am honoured to be part of this influential team, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the continued advancement of the industry.”
It’s worth noting that the JAA has stopped promoting itself as the peak industry body. This claim no longer appears on the JAA's About Us page.
The JAA website once stated: 'Established in 1931, the Jewellers Association of Australia is the peak body representing the multi-billion dollar Australian jewellery industry'; however, it has dropped that assertion.
The JAA now claims: 'Since our inception in 1931 and continuing to the present day the JAA works nationally to represent and protect the interests of the jewellery industry and its consumers … the JAA covers all areas of the jewellery industry – from manufacturing, wholesaling, distribution to retail.'
While the current board cannot claim to represent “all areas from manufacturing, wholesaling, distribution to retail”, fortunately, Bartlett's appointment at least rectifies one 'dilemma'; it introduces the representation of a third state (Queensland) to the JAA.
The previous six-member configuration was dominated by directors exclusively from Melbourne and Sydney.
The new board now consists of three directors from Victoria, one from Queensland and two from Sydney. With that said, the Sydney-based Storch previously declared on her board profile page - now removed - that, as a retiree, she had left the jewellery industry in 2002.
It’s also interesting to note that the JAA has also removed the profiles of all board members from its website, which previously outlined their experience and expertise. The ‘About JAA+Team’ page only displays director names and photos at the time of publication.
The end result is that the JAA board is now comprised of five jewellery store owners and one retiree and continues to have no representation from manufacturing, wholesaling or distribution, as it claims on its website.
Just as importantly, the buying groups - which account for around 30 per cent of all independent stores - are no longer represented on the board. The same is also true for the chain stores.
As mentioned, Jeweller contacted the JAA for comment and clarification; however, no response was provided.
More reading
JAA loses long-term supporter over membership confusion
JAA reports profit in 2023 despite retail membership decline
Is the current JAA board representative of the industry?
JAA: The past is haunting, and the future is unclear
JAA: Legacy of past presidents and their achievements
Membership blow: Major jewellery chain quits JAA
Administrative penalties: Confusion around JAA reporting requirements intensifies