Signet Jewelers Accelerates “Grow Brand Love” Strategy with Appointment of Raghu Sagi as Chief Digital and Technology Officer
HAMILTON, Bermuda – In a decisive move to fortify its digital infrastructure and enhance customer experiences across its global portfolio, Signet Jewelers Limited (NYSE: SIG) has appointed retail technology veteran Raghu Sagi as its new Chief Digital and Technology Officer.
Effective January 12, 2026, Sagi assumes control of the world’s largest diamond jewelry retailer’s integrated digital and information technology functions. His appointment marks a pivotal moment in Signet’s ongoing transformation, following the departure of former Chief Digital Officer Rebecca Wooters in March 2025. Sagi will report directly to Signet Chief Executive Officer J.K. Symancyk, who continues to aggressively execute the company’s ambitious “Grow Brand Love” strategy.
A Strategic Milestone for Signet’s Digital Evolution
The appointment of Raghu Sagi is not merely a staffing change; it is a strategic signal to the market. Signet Jewelers, which operates approximately 2,700 stores under iconic banners such as Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared, and Banter by Piercing Pagoda, is in the midst of a massive operational pivot.
The company is transitioning from a traditional brick-and-mortar reliance to a sophisticated, data-driven omnichannel ecosystem. Sagi’s role consolidates the previously separate domains of “Digital” and “IT” into a single, cohesive powerhouse. This unification is designed to eliminate silos, ensuring that the backend technology supporting inventory and supply chain communicates seamlessly with the frontend digital storefronts that consumers interact with daily.
“In 2025, we announced the details of our Grow Brand Love growth strategy,” a Signet spokesperson stated regarding the appointment. “This included forming a new integrated digital and IT function to create a seamless end-to-end technology experience for our team members, guests, and customers across our 11 brands.”
Raghu Sagi: A Titan of Retail Technology
Raghu Sagi brings to Signet a formidable resume spanning over 30 years, characterized by managing complex, multi-brand portfolios—a background that mirrors Signet’s own corporate structure. His career trajectory suggests a leader capable of balancing high-volume operational efficiency with high-touch customer personalization.
transforming Operations at Carter’s
Before joining Signet, Sagi served as the Chief Information and Technology Officer at Carter’s, Inc., the largest branded marketer in North America of apparel exclusively for babies and young children. At Carter’s, Sagi was instrumental in modernizing the retailer’s technology stack, enhancing its e-commerce capabilities, and optimizing supply chain logistics to better serve digital-first parents.
Innovation at Inspire Brands
Prior to Carter’s, Sagi held the role of Chief Information Officer for Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant behemoth whose portfolio includes Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic Drive-In, and Dunkin’.
- Scale: At Inspire, Sagi managed technology impacting over 1.7 billion guest interactions annually.
- Complexity: He successfully navigated the integration of disparate technology systems following Inspire’s aggressive acquisition spree, a challenge directly relevant to Signet, which has recently integrated Blue Nile and Diamonds Direct.
- Data Utilization: His work focused on leveraging customer data to drive loyalty and operational efficiency across thousands of franchise and corporate locations.
The Sephora Connection: Personalization at Scale
Perhaps most relevant to the jewelry industry is Sagi’s tenure as Chief Engineering Officer at Sephora Americas (LVMH). The beauty sector, like jewelry, relies heavily on emotional connection, personalization, and brand loyalty. At Sephora, Sagi helped pioneer the “Retailer of the Year” digital experiences that set the industry standard for how customers discover and trial products online—innovation that Signet is keen to replicate for diamond purchasing.
The “Grow Brand Love” Strategy: A Deep Dive
Sagi’s arrival is the technological keystone of the “Grow Brand Love” strategy, unveiled by CEO J.K. Symancyk in March 2025. This strategy represents a fundamental shift in how Signet views its business: moving from a “banner-led” organization to a “brand-led” organization.
To understand the magnitude of Sagi’s task, one must understand the four pillars of this strategy, which require distinct technological approaches:
1. Milestone & Romantic Gifting
- Brands: Kay Jewelers, Peoples.
- Tech Needs: Relationship marketing tools, anniversary reminders, and financing integration. These brands focus on the “everyman” romantic buyer who needs guidance and assurance.
2. Style & Trend
- Brands: Zales, Banter by Piercing Pagoda.
- Tech Needs: Fast-fashion agility, social commerce integration, and trend forecasting algorithms. This segment targets self-purchasers and fashion-forward consumers where speed-to-market is critical.
3. Inspired Luxury
- Brands: Jared, Diamonds Direct.
- Tech Needs: High-touch clienteling apps for associates, detailed inventory visibility for high-value items, and exclusive “vault” access for VIP clients.
4. Digital Pure Play
- Brands: Blue Nile, James Allen, Rocksbox.
- Tech Needs: Seamless UI/UX, advanced diamond visualization (360-degree HD views), and highly efficient logistics.
Sagi’s mandate is to build a centralized technology backbone that supports these four distinct “customer families” while allowing each brand to maintain its unique front-end identity.
Resolving Integration Challenges
One of the immediate priorities for the new CDTO will likely be addressing the “plumbing” issues that have historically plagued large retail mergers. In late 2024 and early 2025, Signet faced headwinds related to the digital integration of its acquired banners, Blue Nile and James Allen.
During previous earnings calls, leadership acknowledged that operational friction in unifying these digital platforms with Signet’s legacy systems had impacted conversion rates. Sagi’s experience at Inspire Brands—where he integrated distinct tech stacks from Dunkin’ and Sonic into a shared enterprise architecture—makes him the ideal candidate to resolve these lingering friction points. His goal will be to ensure that a diamond sitting in a vault in Ohio can be visible to a customer browsing on Blue Nile in California instantly, without data lag.
J.K. Symancyk’s New Era of Leadership
This appointment further solidifies the stamp of CEO J.K. Symancyk on the organization. having taken the helm in late 2024, Symancyk (formerly CEO of PetSmart and Academy Sports + Outdoors) has been systematic in restructuring Signet’s C-suite to favor operational rigor and brand distinctiveness.
Symancyk’s vision relies on “harmony” between physical stores and digital channels. Under his guidance, the company is not just closing underperforming mall stores (a planned reduction of ~150 locations) but is aggressively repositioning into off-mall formats. Sagi’s technology must support this physical migration, providing mobile point-of-sale (POS) systems and inventory tracking that works as well in a strip center as it does in a mega-mall.
The Future: AI, Data, and The Diamond Dilemma
Looking ahead, Raghu Sagi’s tenure will likely be defined by how Signet leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data to solve the industry’s “Diamond Dilemma”: the split between Natural Diamonds and Lab-Grown Diamonds (LGD).
The “Grow Brand Love” strategy dictates a clear segmentation:
- Bridal: leaning heavily into Natural Diamonds to protect long-term value and emotional resonance.
- Fashion: embracing Lab-Grown Diamonds for their lower price points and style versatility.
Technology plays a crucial role here. Sagi will oversee the development of AI-driven recommendation engines that can subtly guide a customer toward the right product based on their browsing behavior, effectively segmenting the market digitally. Furthermore, advanced data analytics will be required to manage the inventory mix of natural vs. lab-grown stones across 2,700 locations, ensuring the right product is in the right store at the right time.
Conclusion
The appointment of Raghu Sagi is a declaration of intent. Signet Jewelers is moving past the era of simply selling rings; it is building a technologically sophisticated retail platform capable of dominating the $100 billion jewelry market. By recruiting a leader with deep roots in high-volume food service, fast-paced apparel, and prestige beauty, Signet is positioning itself to deliver a jewelry buying experience that is as seamless as ordering a coffee app, yet as personal as a luxury concierge. As the “Grow Brand Love” strategy enters its second year, the industry will be watching closely to see how Sagi’s digital stewardship transforms the world’s largest jeweler.
