Board of Directors

Peter Beever, JAA President; nominated by VIC/TAS Branch
Current Occupation: Owner, Ringwood Jewellers

Peter started in the jewellery trade working for the Australian Gold Buying Company (AGB) as messenger boy when just 16, dropping off and picking up repairs from the warehouses. “It was a great way to learn the trade” he states.

Peter was eventually promoted to the position of watch manager, and during this time he met Pam, his future wife whose father Ted Hughes also worked at AGB. Both Pam’s parents and grandparents had a watchmaking and jewellery store for 39 years in East Malvern.

After 11 years at AGB, Peter was asked to join Precision Watches, which later became known as The Swatch Group. There, he started as a sales representative selling Hirsch Watch Bands. After five years, Peter was promoted to sales manager for Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia then, after three years, he was promoted to national sales manager visiting Hirsch Austria as the Australian manager on many occasions.

In 1998, Hirsch combined with Speidel and appointed Peter as managing director of Hirsch Speidel. After re-establishing Speidel back in Australia, Peter moved on to work for Oro Australia. “This was an amazing experience, as I was now selling some of the most exquisite pieces of diamond jewellery in the world,” he says.

He and Pam launched Ringwood Jewellers in August 2001, joined Nationwide Jewellers, and grew quickly. In 2004, Peter and Pam relocated to premises three times the size in the same centre. Since then, they have won many local, Victorian and National awards and now employ seven staff in a growing business. “It is a great honour to be President of the JAA as we look after the interests of the trade that I love.” The industry is changing at a rapid rate. Peter believes it is very important that all groups in our industry work together, so that we can all benefit.

Joshua Zarb, Leading Edge Jewellers Director; JAA Vice President and Buying Group Director; nominated by Leading Edge Jewellers Buying Group
Current Occupation: Managing Director, Leading Edge Jewellers

Joshua brings more than 15 years of retail experience to his role as General Manger of Leading Edge Jewellers and has spent the last 9 years within the jewellery industry. His introduction into jewellery came in 2001 when he started working with Michael Hill Jewellers a year after completing his formal education with Honours degrees in Marine Biology and Statistics.

Josh started working with Leading Edge Jewellers in 2006 as Operations Manager for the group and a year later was promoted to General Manager. Now, Josh finds a balance between member support and supplier support and gets his greatest satisfaction from seeing his members increasing profits through utilising the services offered by Leading Edge Group. He is extremely passionate about the industry and is committed to maintaining a strong JAA.

Selwyn Brandt, Finance Director
Current Occupation: Managing Director, House of Jewellery

Elected to the JAA Board in 2003, Selwyn served as a committee member of the NSW branch for more than sixteen years and is currently Chair. He was educated in South Africa and following studies in commerce and marketing, established a jewellery supply business. He has almost thirty years of industry experience and upon migrating to Australia in 1987, began working as a manager for House of Jewellery. Purchasing the business in 1996 has been a career highlight, as well as earning a seat on the JAA Board. He has always believed he should give something back to the industry that has provided him with a living and in doing this; he hopes to create positive change.

Francesca Antonaglia, QLD State Director; nominated by Queensland Branch
Current Occupation: Operations Manager, Giovanni Imports Pty Ltd

Francesca is the Vice President JAA Board and has been an active member on the Qld committee for more than 8 years. Francesca currently works with her family’s business; Giovanni Imports, a long serving member of the jewellery industry being in operation for more than 30 years. Currently, Giovanni Imports, a well grounded wholesale company, have also established retail stores under the name “Crown Family Jewellers” and the original “Maria’s Fine Gifts and Jewellery”. Francesca’s aim is to encourage JAA members to be actively involved in the growth of the industry and to see the image of the jewellery industry strengthen with strong work ethics being portrayed to the consumers.

Francesca is also a qualified gemmologist, registered valuer and diamond grader.

George Proszkowiec, NSW/ACT State Director; nominated by NSW/ACT State Branch
Current Occupation: Owner, Terrace Jewellery Pty Ltd

George has been involved with the jewellery industry, both in Australia and overseas, for more than 35 years. George and his wife, Elizabeth acquired their first retail jewellery store in 1997 and opened their second store in 2000. Both stores are located in Raymond Terrace, NSW, approximately two hours drive north of Sydney.

George's parents purchased the original store in 1967 and George started his retail career while still at school. George was fortunate enough to receive some early jewellery training from my uncle, Henry Henc, and in 1974 he spent a year working on the bench with a Master Jeweller in Poland. In 1985, he completed a gemology course and qualified as a registered valuer. George joined Showcase Jewellers buying group in 1988 and become a Showcase Jewellers director in 1997. George to this day is still a director of Showcase Jewellers, as well as a director of NCJV NSW branch, a committee member of JAA NSW and ACT and Director of JAA.

George brings a wealth of experience to the JAA Board including financial, managerial, marketing and corporate and enjoys supporting our great industry.

Ian Brookes, SA/NT State Director; nominated by SA/NT Branch
Current Occupation: Director, Everettbrookes Pty Ltd

Ian has been a part of the Australian jewellery industry for over 20 years starting out making necklaces at Pulchra of Italy, an Adelaide chain making company, of which Ian was employed for over three years until the company’s closure. As one door closes another one opens and Ian was fortunate to walk straight into the Peter W Beck organisation as a Goldsmith for 11 years and then as a national Technical Sales Consultant for the precious metals division for a further 8 years. Although Ian has some formal training, his jewellery skills are predominantly self taught and have ultimately led him to his current position as Director/Jeweller of EverettBrookes Jewellery. Ian is passionate about the jewellery industry and wants to see it thrive, Ian hopes in his time as a JAA director for SA/NT he is able to encourage all facets of the industry to come together and support the national association.

Peter Keep, WA State Director; nominated by WA Branch
Current Occupation: Jewellery Lecturer at Central Institute of Technology

Peter was trained at the School of Jewellery & Silversmithing in Birmingham UK and has never forgotten the amazing experience that high quality training gave him. After 30 years of running a successful jewellery design and manufacturing business in England and Australia he was offered the position of Jewellery Trade Lecturer at Central Institute of Technology in Perth. Peter implemented a relevant and disciplined training program and developed innovative teaching techniques that has re-energised the apprenticeship program in WA. This has created a passion amongst his students for excellence in design and hand crafted jewellery. Peter judges at Worldskills and his work has been awarded from both the UK and Australian jewellery industries as well as in the education sector. Peter believes that the future success of the jewellery industry will depend on nurturing and promoting home grown skills and materials.

Colin Pocklington, Nationwide Jewellers Director; Buying Group Director; nominated by Nationwide Jewellers Buying Group
Current Occupation: Managing Director, Nationwide Jewellers

Colin has 35 years experience in the jewellery industry, specialising in finance and general management. He served on the board of Australia’s largest and most profitable jewellery retailer from 1978 to 1989. In 1990, Colin co-founded Nationwide Jewellers, which has grown to become the largest marketing and buying group in Australasia, representing over 500 independent jewellery stores.

On behalf of the JAA, Colin conducted industry training sessions around Australia on the Jewellery Industry Code (1997) and GST (1999) and represented the JAA on the Industry Code Committee from 1994 to 2001. He was appointed a life member of the JAA in 2002. Colin believes that there is an opportunity for the JAA to give much greater assistance to the industry, particularly in the areas of positive PR, training and compliance with fair trading laws.

Michael Mishevski, Showcase Jewellers Director; Buying Group Director; nominated by Showcase Jewellers Buying Group
Current Occupation: CEO, Showcase Jewellers

Michael Mishevski has over 20 years experience in the jewellery industry and takes a keen interest in the formulation of strategic plans to make retail stores more profitable. Michael has been Chief Executive Officer of the Showcase Jewellers buying and marketing group, which consists of 250 stores, for the past 10 years. Prior to this he was joint Chief Executive Officer for 5 years. Showcase Jewellers continue to post record sales year on year through the growth of existing retailers.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in accounting and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Michael believes that by making the JAA a strong organisation uniting all the different factions, the whole industry will prosper.

Graham Peterson, Opal and Gemstone Director; nominated by Opal and Gemstone Sector Council
Current Occupation: Managing Director, Opal Fields Pty Ltd

Graham has been in the jewellery industry for over twenty years starting as a casual at Angus and Coote in Wollongong after school, and remained at Angus and Coote for over eleven years. Graham purchased Gemstone Boutique on George Street in Sydney in late 2002 and changed it to Opals on George. In 2005 he purchased Opal Fields with two city locations and then opened two locations at Sydney International Airport in 2006. Opal has always been Graham's favourite gem, both for its beauty and the characters associated with it. Because of its relatively small size, the opal industry is a very tight knit group of dedicated opal people. The miners through to wholesalers and retailers, all have a common goal of maintaining the integrity of the product and the continuity of supply.

Lester Brand, Supplier Director; nominated by Supplier Sector Council
Current Occupation: Owner, Lester Brand Jewellery

Lester began his career in the jewellery industry in 1985 after completing a Jewellery Design and Manufacturing Degree at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. He set up and managed the manufacturing arm of the Brand family retail jewellery business, M. Brand & Son. In 1988 he immigrated to Australia and worked as Production Manager for Jewelcor for two years.

Lester founded his own company, Lester Brand Jewellery, in 1991. The company has a head office and full service workshop located in Sydney, a joint manufacturing operation in both China and Thailand and sales representatives based nationally and in New Zealand. The Lester Brand Jewellery range is designed for the middle to high end of the market. Lester brings a wealth of manufacturing and business operating knowledge to the JAA Board.

Ronnie Bauer, GAA Representative Director; nominated by the Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA)
Current Occupation: Director, Bauer Gemmological Laboratories and Klepner's Antique Jewellers

Ronnie Bauer has been involved with the jewellery industry for over 35 years.

Klepner’s Antique Jewellers is a 5th generation jewellery company. Ronnie is an Honorary life member of the GAA and holds diplomas in gemmology, valuations and dDiamonds. Ronnie is the current Chairman of the Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA) and is one of Australia’s representatives to the World Jewellery Congress (CIBJO). Ronnie is also one of only 5 approved jewellery valuers under the Australian Government’s Cultural Gift Program. Ronnie has served on many committees and boards which deals to jewellery matter including the inter industry committees for the nomenclature of opal and the reintroduction of the precious metal standards.