Executives
Sean Kell – Chief Executive Officer
Sean is a seasoned leader charged with driving the Blue Nile strategic vision and elevating the company’s modern approach to purchasing handcrafted diamond rings and exquisite jewellery online. Before joining Blue Nile in 2019, Sean served as CEO of A Place for Mom, where he was responsible for overall brand management and business expansion. Sean has a proven track record of building successful businesses in ecommerce, digital innovation and product management across leading online retail organizations including Expedia, Hotels.com and Starbucks. Sean has also held various roles at McKinsey and IBM. Sean holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. Sean is an avid skier and golfer, and enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Camille Cleveland – General Counsel
Camille Cleveland is responsible for the legal and trade compliance teams at Blue Nile. Camille has over three decades of general counsel experience with a diverse background of industries including retail, tech, e-commerce and consumer-branded goods. Camille has participated in major acquisitions and dispositions during her career. Her extensive experience and collaborative approach make her a critical executive team member who helps drive strategy, leverage business opportunities and cultivate workplace diversity across the organisation. Camille graduated from Wayne State Law School and Albion College in Michigan. Her passions include travel, rescue dogs, history and, of course, diamonds.
Michael Hopkins – SVP, Sales and Service
Michael is an experienced leader responsible for the global sales and service teams at Blue Nile. Before joining Blue Nile in 2019, Michael led inside and outside sales teams in both the B2B and B2C space in a wide variety of industries. He is well-versed in building great teams, growing sales, and delivering exceptional customer service. Prior to his time as a sales leader, he served as a consultant in McKinsey & Company’s Detroit office specializing in B2B sales and marketing. He graduated in 2005 from the University of Michigan with a BA in economics and again in 2012 with an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Michael was born and raised in metro Detroit and currently resides in Seattle. His passions include travel, with trips to more than 100 countries.
Derek Mullens – Chief Human Resources
Derek’s primary responsibility is ensuring that Blue Nile has the very best people, and that every employee is set up for success. He believes, “We have a passionate and committed group that wants to leave their mark and own a part of the company’s success. We give them the tools to do just that.” Derek spends his free time skiing on both water and snow and working on his troubled relationship with golf.
Charlie Severn – VP, Brand Marketing
Charlie is responsible for setting the brand vision at Blue Nile that celebrates everyday moments and ensures customers find joy in discovering, giving and receiving handcrafted fine diamond jewellery for all occasions, big and small. Prior to Blue Nile, Charlie served as VP of Brand at A Place for Mom where he was responsible for overall brand management and development of the off-line media program. Throughout his career he has championed distinctive customer experiences across traditional consumer and ecommerce brands through leadership positions with Starbucks and Expedia. Charlie is a graduate of the University of Washington where he received a degree in business.
Katie Zimmerman - Chief Merchandising Officer
Katie provides a thoughtful yet analytic approach to merchandising and sourcing to create a collection that ensures Blue Nile is an industry leader. Previously, Katie worked as Vice President of Merchandising at Zale's, a division of Signet Jewellers, where she began as an Assistant Buyer in 2002. In addition to growing revenue and expanding margins in multiple categories across fine jewellery and watches, she has successfully developed and launched over a dozen proprietary collections. Katie’s deep understanding of the customer and evolving trends across the category helped her build strategic partnerships with the industry’s leading suppliers and manufacturers, as well as with iconic designers and brands to bring relevant, current collections to customers. Katie is a graduate of the University of Texas, Austin, where she studied textiles and apparel/retail merchandising. Katie loves spending time with her family and catering to her dog Melee in her spare time.
Jim McDougall – VP, Enterprise Finance
Jim has more than two decades of finance experience in industry-leading ecommerce and retail companies. Prior to joining Blue Nile in September 2020, he served as the CFO of Hotwire helping lead a turnaround of the online travel brand. Jim’s time at Hotwire capped more than a decade at Expedia Group where he led the enterprise-wide planning process and championed automated forecasting and reporting. Jim is an avid soccer fan and spends as much time as he can in the mountains hiking and backpacking with his wife and two children.
Yogesh Yadav – SVP Enterprise Systems
Yogesh began his career at Blue Nile in 2006 as a software engineer and has grown to now oversee all Blue Nile tech & engineering capabilities. Yogesh loves working with his team, they are like a family to him and they are all the motivation he needs to strive further every day. One of his favourite parts about working for Blue Nile is its strong passion for excellent customer service. If he could give one piece of advice to the organisation, it’s this: never stop learning. Blue Nile is a place of continuous learning in business, technical, and professional skills. Now, let's grow together!