PILLAR AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE
Mark Light
President and CEO
Sterling Jewelers Inc.
www.sterlingjewelers.com
Akron, Ohio-based Sterling Jewelers is the largest U.S. specialty retail jeweler with more than 1,300 stores in 50 states. The company has stores under the names Kay Jewelers, J.B. Robinson Jewelers and Jared The Galleria of Jewelry. With employees all over the country, Sterling Jewelers is proud of its commitment to support the communities where its employees live and work.
Here in Northeast Ohio, Sterling has 2,500 team members working at its corporate headquarters, and under the leadership of President and CEO Mark Light, the company focuses on giving back to three specific areas: children, arts and culture, and civic programs and community development.
In October 2012, Sterling Jewelers launched an internal online donation tool where team members can click on a link via the company’s intranet, select any fundraiser they want to support, enter a donation amount and hit submit. The donation is automatically deducted from the employee’s paycheck and offers an easy and convenient way to give back.
Participation has increased by more than 50 percent since the launch of the online donation tool. In total, the business support services team at Sterling dedicates more than 1,425 hours annually to develop and implement team member giving programs.
Over the years Sterling Jewelers has become one of the largest corporate sponsors of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, raising more than $43 million to date. The company sells plush animals each year in support of St. Jude. As further incentive, Sterling employees can earn a trip to St. Jude to present the staff with a check and get a tour of the hospital. ●
