The International Colored Gemstone Association Names Brandee Dallow as New CEO


Brandee Dallow

The International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) has a new leader, and she’s bringing a resume that touches nearly every link in the gemstone supply chain.

Brandee Dallow has been named ICA’s new CEO, effective July 6. She steps into a role vacated by Doug Hucker, who retired in April after four years running the association. According to ICA, her experience spans mining, manufacturing, certification, retail, responsible sourcing, communications and association management, giving her what the association calls a comprehensive view of the gemstone market.

Most recently, Dallow served as chief communications and sustainability officer at Grandview Klein Diamonds. Before that, she held leadership roles at advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, working on the De Beers Group account, along with stints at Rio Tinto Diamonds and the Responsible Jewellery Council.

She’s also no stranger to volunteer leadership. ICA describes her as “one of the industry’s most active and respected volunteer leaders,” noting she’s shared her expertise with organizations focused on ethics, education, governance and professional development. Dallow is a past international president of the Women’s Jewelry Association and the Women’s Jewelry Association Foundation, and she currently serves as president of the Community for Ethical Jewelry.

In her new role, Dallow will work alongside ICA’s board and membership to deepen engagement, encourage collaboration, and strengthen the association’s position as a leading voice in the colored gemstone space.

Why She Wanted the Job

Dallow says the biggest reason she took the job is that she loves the industry. “I’ve been fortunate to spend my career surrounded by some of the most passionate, entrepreneurial, and resilient people in the world, and ICA’s membership represents exactly that,” she says. “It is an extraordinary community of miners, manufacturers, dealers, designers, laboratories, retailers, and leaders whose collective expertise is unmatched.”

What really hooks her, though, is the story behind every gemstone. Dallow says she’s “always been captivated by the incredible journey of a colored gemstone, from the moment it is discovered in the earth to the moment it becomes part of someone’s story,” and that getting to support the people behind that journey is what makes the new job exciting.

She’s also quick to frame the role as a supporting one rather than a top-down position. In her words, “this role isn’t about leading from the front. It’s about helping an already exceptional membership achieve even more.” If she can help members connect, get heard, and find more reasons to collaborate, she says, “I’ll consider that a privilege.”

The Challenge Ahead: Getting Credit Where It’s Due

When asked about the biggest challenges facing her in her new role, Dallow doesn’t point to a crisis — she points to a perception gap. She says ICA already has a strong, respected global membership, so “the challenge isn’t who we are, it’s ensuring the rest of the world fully appreciates the expertise, integrity, and value our members bring to the colored gemstone industry every day.”

Part of closing that gap, she says, comes down to consumer demand for honesty. Today’s buyers “want authenticity, transparency, and meaningful stories” — which Dallow sees as an opening for ICA to help members tell the real story of where their stones come from and who’s behind them.

She also wants to use that opportunity to bring in new blood, saying ICA has a chance to attract the next generation of industry professionals and show them the tangible value of belonging to a global community like ICA.

Step One: Listen

Before changing anything, Dallow says her first move is a simple one: listen. She wants to spend time understanding what ICA members value most, where they see opportunities, and how they believe ICA can best support their businesses before acting on anything else.

From there, her plan is to strengthen member engagement and find practical ways ICA can create business value — through education, advocacy, networking, and market intelligence — while also telling the industry’s story more effectively to the outside world.

Underlying all of it is a philosophy she’s picked up over years in association work: “Associations are at their best when members genuinely feel they belong, that their voices are heard, their businesses matter, and they’re part of something bigger than themselves.” ICA, she says, already has that foundation — her job is just to build on it.