‹ back to Managing DirectorsSam Merksamer

Sam Merksamer has more than 40 years of expertise in the retail jewelry industry, including owner and CEO of his own 50 store national chain and CEO and President of two other 100+ store publicly owned U.S. retail jewelers.  He has acknowledged expertise in the area of retail turnaround and related marketing.

Industry experience includes:

• Consulting to major jewelry manufacturers and DTC Sight Holders for the past eight years thru SJM Worldwide, LLC.
• Managing Director of SJM Interactive, LLC, which specializes in digital and print marketing materials, B2B and B2C e-commerce platforms for the jewelry industry.
• Founding member and Managing Director of the 100+ member, Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA).
• CEO and President of two 100+ store national jewelry chains that successfully restructured their balance sheets and re-engineered their marketing and merchandise platforms, one out of court and one through a Chapter 11 proceeding.
• CEO and Owner of 75 store Merksamer Jewelers that was sold to a top 5 national jewelry chain four years after successfully emerging from Chapter 11 proceeding.

As a consultant, Mr. Merksamer has worked with major jewelry manufacturers and diamond cutters in New York, China, India, Antwerp, and Israel.  He has developed numerous nationally recognized specialty diamond brands with all their features and benefits.  As a retailer, he has worked with a full spectrum of luxury jewelry and watch brands and has developed unique marketing plans to maximize their profitability.  He has also successfully worked as a turn-around specialist, where he has used his skills in marketing and merchandising to reposition and revitalize merchandise core basics and marketing initiatives resulting in increased market share and bottom line profits.

Mr. Merksamer holds a B.A. from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.  He currently resides in New York City.