Harvey Kanter resigned as CEO of Moosejaw Mountaineering to take the top position at Blue Nile, the publicly traded online jewelry retailer. Kanter will take over March 30 as chief executive officer and president at the company and join its board of directors.
Kanter had served as president and CEO of Moosejaw Mountaineering and Backcountry Travel, Inc. for three years. Under his leadership, Kanter developed Moosejaw's enhanced brand architecture and market positioning by clearly defining the merchandising, marketing, and consumer experience strategy and initiatives. During his tenure, Moosejaw experienced double-digit revenue growth and was the recipient of numerous industry awards, including: Internet Retailer Hot 100 and Hot 100 Mobile, and Ad Age Top 50 Marketing Company, among many others.
Before Moosejaw, Kanter served as executive vice president and managing director of Michaels Stores, the nation's largest craft store chain in the United States and Canada, with nearly $4 billion in annual sales. While at Michaels, Kanter led the overhaul of the company's product merchandising and was responsible for product trend development.
“Harvey brings a vibrant leadership style and a unique ability to align product strategy and marketing in such a way that inspires consumers,” said Blue Nile Chairman Mark Vadon. “His dynamism and passion, coupled with his experience in online and traditional retail, are just what we need to drive growth and inspire the next generation of Blue Nile customers. After an extensive search, our Board of Directors decided that Harvey is the best candidate to lead our company at this exciting time.”
“I am excited about joining Blue Nile, the undisputed online leader in fine jewelry,” said Kanter. “I am equally excited about working with such an impressive executive team; a team that, in little more than a decade, created a business and brand recognized worldwide.”
Blue Nile, Inc. offers in-depth educational materials and unique online tools that place consumers in control of the jewelry shopping process. The Company has some of the highest quality standards in the industry and offers thousands of independently certified diamonds and fine jewelry at prices significantly below traditional retail. Blue Nile can be found online at www.bluenile.com , www.bluenile.ca and www.bluenile.co.uk . Blue Nile's shares are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC under the symbol NILE.
