The Women’s Jewellery Network has announced a new appointment to its senior directorate team, with the addition of jewellery industry media and events strategist Rachael Taylor as Creative Director.
Commenting on the appointment, Managing Director Victoria McKay said:
“This announcement gives me immense pleasure; I am personally over the moon to welcome Rachael to the WJN Board. Rachael is an indisputable jewellery industry heavyweight and the entire team is buzzing with excitement to hear her insights on our evolving strategy and direction. I’ve always valued Rachael’s opinion; from the moment I met her, I could tell she was a force to be reckoned with.
“So, when I started WJN, I was so pleased to recruit her as a founding Ambassador. Given where we have moved the organisation, and with a mindful eye on where we want to take this movement in the future, Rachael’s appointment to the Board is both exciting and timely.”
Taylor (pictured above right) is a highly respected and globally renowned jewellery journalist. She is a regular contributor to a wealth of titles across the globe, including The Financial Times, Condé Nast, Retail Jeweller and Rapaport, and was the founding editor of Professional Jeweller and WatchPro magazines. Taylor is also the co-founder of The Jewellery Cut, a platform that supports and exposes independent jewellery designers through engaging editorial, sparkling social posts and live events, including a bi-annual jewellery showcase during London Fashion Week.
Since its launch, The Jewellery Cut has been named as one of the top six jewellery Instagram accounts to follow by The New York Times, has been selected to be part of the Mayor of London’s business growth scheme London & Partners, and was shortlisted for awards at the UK Jewellery Awards and the NAJ Awards. Taylor is a judge at the UK Jewellery Awards and The Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards, the latter of which she is also hosting in 2020 and 2021.
Commenting on her appointment, new WJN Creative Director Rachael Taylor said: “The Women’s Jewellery Network has created not just a safe space to discuss and promote women’s issues in the jewellery trade, but also a vibrant, engaged and supportive community for all genders. In a relatively short space of time, it has filled a void in our industry and has become one of its leading voices. Throughout my career, I have always sought to push the jewellery agenda forward and inspire innovation, whether through my reporting or the launch of publications and events. It is for this reason that I became involved in the Women’s Jewellery Network from the beginning; a commitment I’m delighted to deepen with my appointment to the board. WJN is a pioneering organisation and I look forward to helping it grow with creative new ideas that will hit the mark with our growing global membership.”
Taylor joins the WJN leadership team of Managing Director Victoria McKay, Research & Insights Director Kathryn Bishop and Communications Director Nyasha Pitt effective immediately. WJN’s wider team includes 45 Ambassadors globally and 4 Advocates based in the UK.
Follow the WJN on social media: @wj_network on Instagram and @wj_net on Twitter; search Women’s Jewellery Network on Facebook and LinkedIn.
