WJA Revamps Its Awards for Excellence

New York--The Women’s Jewelry Association announced Tuesday that it is revamping the format of its annual Awards for Excellence gala.

Instead of handing out awards in more than a dozen separate categories (e.g., Design, Editorial, Business Services, etc.) the WJA is simplifying the program with the presentation of four Visionary Awards.

“The WJA board voted to introduce its Visionary Awards as a way to mark our anniversary and to recognize individuals and organizations making a difference in the cause of women’s equality,” new WJA board President Jenny Luker said in a press release. “Our four awards will go to women who are the first to hold their high positions of leadership in their companies, and to organizations that are providing support and mentorship to women.”

The 2018 honorees are: Mercedes Abramo, president and CEO of Cartier, North America; Caryl Capeci, president of Hearts On Fire; and Nadja Swarovski, the first female member of the executive board of Swarovski, as well as De Beers Group/UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality.  

Abramo started her career with Cartier in 2008 as director of the flagship Fifth Avenue mansion. She became president and CEO of Cartier North America in 2014. In addition, she is on the board of Jewelers of America and the advisory board of the Luxury Education Foundation, a not-for-profit that focuses on educational programs for design and business students. Abramo is also a key advocate for the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards, an international business plan competition for women entrepreneurs.

Capeci began her career working on the De Beers account at N.W. Ayer and J. Walter Thompson. She joined Hearts On Fire in 2007 as vice president of marketing and was promoted to chief marketing officer before being named president of the company in 2015. She serves on the boards of Jewelers for Children and the Diamond Empowerment Fund, and is a member of the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York.

Swarovski is the first female board member of the crystal company her great-great-grandfather, Daniel Swarovski, started in Austria in 1895.

She leads the company’s global branding and communications and drives “conscious luxury” through the Atelier Swarovski brand, which created a charity bracelet with UN Women in 2016.  She also oversees the company’s sustainability agenda and chairs the Swarovski Foundation, both of which promote women’s empowerment. Swarovski is an ambassador