Sunil Agrawal
Chairman,
Vaibhav Gems Group |
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 Mr.
Sunil Agrawal is the chairman of the VGL Group
of companies, parent company of STS Jewels Inc.
A native of Jaipur, India, Agrawal received his
Bachelor’s Degree from the University of
Rajasthan in India, and his Executive MBA from
Columbia University, New York. He founded the
VGL Group of companies in 1980 in Jaipur, India,
and it remains one of the world’s few fully
integrated jewelry companies. Agrawal has been
instrumental in commercialization of gemstones
such as Tanzanite, Pink Tourmaline, and Fire Opal
and in the development of the Tanzanite Protocol,
the voluntary code of conduct for the gemstone
trade. He is a board member and past president
of the Indian Diamond & Colored Gemstone Association.
Agrawal currently resides in New York City with
his wife and two sons.
Suresh Panjabi
Director,
Vaibhav Gems Ltd Group |
Telephones:
Office: 1-718-306-1700 x 303
Res: 1-201-993-0000 |
 Mr.
Suresh Panjabi is the Director of the VGL Group
of companies, which fully owns Jewels Gems USA
Inc based in New York. In 2004-05, VGL ventured
into international retail market by setting up
it’s wholly owned subsidiary Jewel Gem Inc.
USA. The company set up retail chain stores at
major tourist’s destinations like Caribbean,
Mexico and Alaska under the brand name “Milano
Diamond Gallery”.
Born in Jaipur, India, Suresh attended his Under
Grad in 1973 at the University of Rajasthan in
India. Suresh has more then 30 years of vast entrepreneurial
and business leadership experience.
In 1984, he merged his Hong-Kong based company
with the VGL Group of companies (India). The company
is today amongst the world’s few fully integrated
jewelry companies. VGL is listed on the BSE and
National Stock Exchanges in India, and has a market
cap of Rs. 8 billion (US $ 182 million approx).
It employs over 3000 people in India, Thailand,
USA, UK, Germany, Hong Kong, China, Canada, Mexico,
Caribbean and Japan.
VGL was engaged in the exports of gemstones on
a nominal scale up-to 1994. In 1996-97, as an
exercise in forward integration, the company came
out with IPO that was aimed at establishing a
world-class jewelry-manufacturing unit for export
of gem-studded gold jewelry. In the year 1999-00,
it set up a new 100% EOU in India.
In 2005-06, the Company became an Indian MNC,
probably the first in the Indian gems and jewelry
sector by extending its operations in more than
10 countries and completing its vertical integration
by setting up 19 Retail Stores at major holiday
destination of the world in just 18 months. Also,
as a move towards specialization through innovation,
VGL started 24 hours Jeweler TV Shopping channels
in UK and Germany.
During the year 2005-06 VGL also completed US$
70 Million GDR issue successfully. Warburg, one
the leading private Equity Investor of the world
has also acquired more than 27% Equity Stake in
the company.
Stephen Ripp
President,
STS Jewels, Inc. |
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As president of STS Jewels, Ripp is responsible
for managing the STS Jewels group of companies.
Prior to joining STS Jewels in September 2007, Ripp
founded and served as president of Zurich Group,
an international consulting firm providing financial,
manufacturing, supply chain and business development
expertise to under-performing and hyper-growth consumer
products, industrial OEM and service businesses.
Prior to his establishment of the Zurich Group,
Ripp obtained 25 years of international P&L,
M&A, operations, finance and business development
experience in major industrial and consumer products
firms (i.e., GE, Black & Decker, Sunbeam and
Standard Brands).
Ripp attended the USAF Academy and received a
Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering
and economics as well as an MBA in finance from
the University
of Wisconsin. He has also engaged in post-graduate
studies at Marquette
University in mathematics and marketing and
achieved a Six Sigma Black Belt certification
from Villanova
University. Ripp operates from STS Jewels
headquarters in New York.
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