Appointments: Former Citizen CEO to head Circa

New York--Pre-owned jewelry, diamond and watch buyer Circa has appointed Laurence Grunstein as its CEO, effective immediately.

He joins the company with more than 40 years in the jewelry and watch industry, including his most recent position as the president and CEO of Citizen Watch Company. He retired from Citizen in 2011.

Grunstein moves into a CEO position that has seen a fair amount of turnover over the past few years and has been vacant since January.

Circa co-founder and CEO Chris Del Gatto left the company in late 2012, taking an “indeterminate leave of absence.”

In February 2013, Del Gatto was replaced by former Zale President and CEO Mary Forte, who remained as acting CEO until she stepped down in January 2014, not long before the company acquired Portero.com, an online retailer of authenticated, previously owned luxury items including fine jewelry.

Circa was established in 2001 and buys pre-owned jewelry, loose diamonds and watches at its 14 offices worldwide, including New York, Hong Kong, Beverly Hills and Barcelona, Spain.

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Ronald Ristau, the former at CFO at Signet Jewelers Ltd., joined mattress retailer Sleepy’s as CFO in October.

Ristau stepped down from his position at Akron, Ohio-based Signet, which he had for more than four years, at the end of July in order to be closer to his family in New York. He was replaced by Signet’s senior vice president and controller Michele Santana.


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Terry Pasch has been appointed to the newly created role of president of sales at bridal and fashion jewelry brand Scott Kay. He will report directly to CEO David Minster.

Pasch has nearly two decades of experience in jewelry sales, including 10 years with Frederick Goldman and three years as the director of sales with Gabriel & Co.

The move is the latest in a number of hires for Scott Kay in its continued effort to bolster the brand’s growth in the United States and international markets and reach its goal of $500 million in sales, including the addition of more than five C-level executives in recent months.

In August, the brand hired three C-level executives from David Yurman to move into the chief merchandising officer, chief commercial officer and chief supply chain officer roles, all of which were newly created positions as well.

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Lee’s Manufacturing/Morvillo Precision Products Group in Providence, R.I. has appointed Kirby Kurkomelis