Zale Corporation Chairman To Speak At Baylor Feb. 22

by Alan Hunt

Robert J. DiNicola, the Zale Corporation chairman who brought the nation's largest fine jewelry retailer back from bankruptcy to profitability, will speak at Baylor University on Tuesday, Feb. 22 as part of the 2000 Ben H. Williams Distinguished Speakers Series sponsored by the Hankamer School of Business.
DiNicola, the company's premier strategist, will make a presentation on "Strategic Management, Merchandising and Marketing" at a noon lunch attended by Central Texas community leaders and graduate students in Room 510 on the fifth floor of the business school's Cashion Building. His afternoon presentation at 2 p.m. in the Blume Conference Center, also in Cashion, is free and open to the public.
Zale Corporation was founded 76 years ago by Morris Zale in Wichita Falls. Today, the Irving-based company has annual revenues exceeding $1.6 billion. Zale Corp. operates approximately 1,360 retail jewelry stores throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The stores include Zales Jewelers, Zales Outlet, Zales Direct, Gordon's Jewelers, Bailey, Banks & Biddle Fine Jewelers, and People's Jewellers.
Between 1994 and 1999, DiNicola took "Zales, The Diamond Store" from bankruptcy back to national prominence. His strategy to position Zales as a "branded specialty retailer of fine jewelry," used forward-thinking, innovative management; a high quality product; an aggressive growth plan; and a customer-oriented approach.
"Our mission of servicing the needs of mainstream, contemporary and high-end jewelry customers, perpetuates the aims of Morris Zale who wished to provide the luxury of fine diamond and gold jewelry to the average American," said DiNicola.
Prior to joining Zale in 1995, DiNicola served from 1989-94 as chair and CEO of the Bon Marche division of Federated Department Stores, Inc. and before that he spent 17 years with Macy's.
For more information about the Feb. 22 program, call Judy Corwin at (254) 710-3495.