Hello industry colleagues, my name is Daniel Anania, I am the newest director of the Jewellers Association. For those interested, my grandfather at the urging of my father, joined the Australian Jewellers Association on the 7th of April 1978, some 13 years after my grandfather started the company that I now run.
My fascination with the world of jewellery started at an early age and thanks to school holidays, I was allowed to spend time in the business workshop or office and got a front-row seat to understanding different aspects of jewellery, design, diamonds, gemstones and opals in every form and manufacturing. I also harboured, like my grandfather, a love of watches and watchmaking.
My dad was for several years the president of the Australian Opal & Gem Industry Association (AOGIA), which recognised the changes to both the industry and membership of the association and helped pave the way for the AOGIA to become a sector under the umbrella of JAA. He then sat as a director for many years.
I’ve been fortunate to see massive changes in technology and understand the changing nature of buyers over the past 20 years. Having grown up in small business I’ve seen firsthand the highs and lows of small business cycles, and like everyone, have gone through the peaks and troughs. I have been privileged to grow up in the industry. I got to passively learn so much just by being around chatter about what was happening at work, and what clients were asking by paying attention to my family at home, a priceless education. From that, I have been fortunate to mentor and coach business owners, in the jewellery industry and other industries and I look forward to over the next few years working with the JAA Board to help establish more programs to mentor and coach the next generations of bench jewellers and business owners.
To my industry colleagues and fellow directors, we are an association here to support each other and make our small individual voices that much stronger. I look forward to working with the JAA Board, the fabulous hard-working and often unsung JAA operations team led by the passionate Megan Young, and the industry as a whole to better educate and promote this amazing industry. I welcome JAA members and the wider trade to contact the Board to discuss industry issues, and how the JAA may help.
As my dear friend and former JAA director, Karen Lindley signs off her emails, “Have a gem of a day.”
Daniel Anania
JAA Director
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