James Speltz Named President of Ross-Simons

Luxury Brand Holdings, parent company of Ross-Simons and Sidney Thomas, announced last week that it has hired former Brookstone CEO James Speltz as its new president. His plans include boosting Sidney Thomas’ e-commerce capabilities, and having the company sell on Amazon.com.

“There are many different growth opportunities on the table,” Speltz said in a company press release. “The landscape is open to expansion in many different directions.”

As a newcomer to the jewelry business, Speltz believes there's something of an omnichannel void in the industry.

“The consolidation that's happening in terms of independent and multigenerational jewelers is an opportunity that we have to seize upon,” said Speltz. “The regional players don’t have significant e-commerce capabilities. Some of the big players that have displaced a lot of those jewelers have proven excellence in e-commerce, but they lack the brick-and-mortar presence to bridge the two worlds.”

Speltz previously worked for Brookstone for 18 years. In addition to CEO, he served as the gadget company’s chief operating officer as well as its vice president of supply chain and business development.