Meet Our Leadership Team

Julie brings a wide range of retail expertise to Helzberg Diamonds. She was the Executive Vice President of Merchandising, Product Development and Sourcing at Eddie Bauer. She also worked as the Client Services Director at Hornall Anderson Design Works and Chief Merchandising Officer, Creative Services and PR at Blue Nile.

Currently, she serves as a business mentor of the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program and board member of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee. She is a former board member of IslandWood, an environmental education nonprofit based in Seattle. She received her bachelor’s in communications from University of Oregon. Julie lives in Kansas City, Mo., with her husband, Peter. They have five adult children, two grandchildren and three Labradors

“My favorite part of working at Helzberg is the family environment. We work hard and play hard. I look forward to solving hard problems and laughing along the way. There is not a day that goes by where someone doesn’t offer support, help or an 'I've got you,' all in the spirit of teamwork.”

Previously, Rob served as the COO and CFO at Boost Mobile, as well as the VP of Financial Planning and Analysis at Sprint. He received his bachelor’s degree from Siena College and master’s in business administration from City College of New York. Rob lives in Leawood, Kan., with his wife, Molly. They have three children.

“[The best things about working at Helzberg:] great brand, great product, great people.”

Mitch began his career as a custom jewelry designer and craftsman. Over the years, he served in multiple leadership positions with progressive levels of responsibility at Helzberg Diamonds, including Store Manager, Regional Manager, Divisional Vice President, Vice President and Sr. Vice President. His expertise spans leadership, business management, sales and leadership training, store site selection, and world-class shopping experience execution.

He studied at the Gemological Institute of America and Baker University and completed the Leadership Executive Development Program in association with Rockhurst University. He also attended the Harvard Business School’s Global Leadership Program. He holds a Registered Jeweler designation from the American Gem Society and is the former Chairman of the Board of the Diamond Council of America. Mitch lives in Lenexa, Kan., with his wife, Julie. They have four adult children and two Biewer Terriers.

“I have tremendous passion for building and leading high-performing teams in the field, while continuing to identify and seize strategic opportunities in Helzberg’s real estate portfolio.”

Joyce’s prior roles include Corporate Accounting Director at ValueHealth, Chief Financial Officer of Device Protection at Brightstar Corp., and Director of Product Finance at Sprint. She received her bachelor’s in accounting and business administration from Kansas University. Joyce lives in Overland Park, Kan., with her husband, Pat. They have six adult children living throughout the country and a Goldendoodle named Zoey.

"Helzberg’s size enables us to be nimble in making business decisions, and we can see how each of our efforts contribute to the company’s success. Best of all, we have beautiful products that help our customers celebrate life’s big moments!”

Ellen brings extensive experience to Helzberg Diamonds. She was the Chief Marketing Officer at Hallmark, Chief Marketing and Customer Service Officer at Payless ShoeSource, and Independent Director at The Gorilla Glue Company. She received her degree in mathematics from Vanderbilt University and master’s in business administration with a concentration in marketing and finance from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Ellen lives in Mission Hills, Kan., with her husband, Kurt. They have an adult daughter and two dogs.

“I’m passionate about building brands and, in particular, brands with a strong legacy of purpose and innovation like we have here at Helzberg. I’m proud to share that passion for Helzberg with my teammates.”

Before he joined Helzberg Diamonds, Bruce served as the VP of Ecommerce at Payless ShoeSource and Head of Marketing at Zave Networks (acquired by Google). For 15 years, he also held consumer marketing roles with progressive levels of responsibility at Sprint. He received his bachelor’s in economics from Northwestern University and master’s in business administration with concentrations in marketing and strategy from University of Michigan. Bruce lives in Leawood, Kan., with his wife, Jocelyn. Their daughter, Erin, attends Arizona State University.

“[The best thing about working at Helzberg is] the team, the team, the team!”

Lea’s human resources career spans more than three decades and encompasses nearly every aspect of human resource management. For the past 24 years, she has worked at Helzberg Diamonds in roles including Director of Associate Relations, Director of Recruiting and Compensation, and Divisional Vice President of Human Resources. Previously, she was the HR Manager for a local county government in metropolitan Kansas City, with an emphasis in employee relations and organizational development. She received her bachelor’s degree from University of Kansas. Lea lives in Shawnee, Kan., with her husband, Ron. They have three children, Lauren, Kaylea and Ryan, and two dogs, Scottie and Bailey.

“[The best thing about working at Helzberg is] the culture. I am proud to work for a company that cares for their Associates, fosters teamwork and conducts business with integrity. No day is the same, and that makes work a fun adventure!”

Before he joined Helzberg Diamonds, Art served as the IT Director and Business Director at Hallmark. He was also the VP of North American Operations at ESPRIT. He received his bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in management information systems at University of Notre Dame. Art lives in Leawood, Kan., with his wife, Diana; their two children, Natalie and Eric; and their rescue dog, Sadie.

“I love that each person in the company is able to weigh in with their thoughts and help transform our business for our customers!”

Bill brings more than 30 years of retail expertise to Helzberg Diamonds, including prior roles in store operations, merchandise buying and planning, and finance. He received his bachelor’s in business administration from University of Missouri, master’s in business administration from Park University, and completed the Gemological Institute of America Global Leadership Program at Harvard Business School. Bill lives in Kansas City, Mo., with his wife, Jennifer. They have two children and a beagle mix named Ralph.

“Love the family and team-oriented culture. We work together to win!”