In a sparkling career that she was born into, yet enthusiastically chose to make her life’s work, Rana Pierre Kassab-Daniken is the award-winning president and chief financial officer (CFO) of the Oregon-based Kassab Jewelers, founded by her father in 1975 under a different name and rebranded to its current, recognizable moniker in 1990. Named to the coveted Forbes “40 Under 40” list in 2021 among other professional recognitions, Ms. Kassab-Daniken splits her time between the three Kassab Jewelers locations. Her responsibilities, as multifaceted as the diamonds she sells, include assisting clients, custom designing jewelry, event planning, accounting, and bookkeeping. Plus, she oversees and manages the back office, team meetings, inventory, payroll, and marketing, along with nonstop decision-making and generating ideas with her team of 20 colleagues.
While working in leadership capacities at Kassab Jewelers from 2004 through today, Ms. Kassab-Daniken earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing and economics from the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business in 2007. She is now pursuing a gemologist license. Well-rounded within her company and external business and professional communities, Ms. Kassab-Daniken is a member of the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce and Alpha Phi Sorority. Charitably, she contributes to the Children’s Cancer Association and the Maurice Lucas Foundation, organizations close to her heart.
Kassab Jewelers, as Ms. Kassab Daniken explains, specializes in the retail sales of high-end jewelry, focusing primarily on bridal pieces, although they also offer a variety of fashion jewelry, designer lines, and exclusive selections within these lines. Her business distinguishes itself from other jewelry companies by having exclusive rights to the designer lines that they carry, ensuring that customers will not find the same jewelry elsewhere. Kassab Jewelers also develop their own customized jewelry, and, because they are not a large corporation, can offer low pricing and provide the best jewelry and designer lines to accommodate most anyone’s budget. Moreover, the family-owned business does not rely on a single sale to generate revenue for the year. Rather, it depends on many sales so that profit margins are much lower, allowing them to compete with online businesses. As president and CFO, Ms. Kassab-Daniken declares that her chief motivation is remembering, and still knowing, how proud her father was of the business that he, “a diligent and hardworking man,” built from scratch.
Recalling her family and business origins, Ms. Kassab-Daniken shared that each of her parents, Pierre George Kassab and Noha Sami Kassab, immigrated from the Middle East and met in Oregon, where they married three months after their introduction. The couple went on to have four children – three boys and one girl, Ms. Kassab-Daniken, the one who helps her parents operate their business. Each of her brothers — Rami Pierre Kassab, Danny Pierre Kassab, and Andrew Pierre Kassab – works successfully in the technology sector. Ms. Kassab-Daniken initially wanted to become a pediatrician, yet her father inspired her with his tireless work ethic and dedication to the family business. At first, seeking to find her own way in life before deciding later to join her father, she gained varied and invaluable work experience making deli sandwiches, cleaning toilets, and working at the front desk of a fitness club. When she ultimately started working with her father, she fell in love with watching him on the sales floor and building connections with people. She admired her father for being dynamic, fun, happy, and hardworking, and for giving the business all his efforts. With pride and respect for his commitment, Ms. Kassab-Daniken is determined to work just as hard to uphold his legacy.
One of Ms. Kassab-Daniken’s most exciting career highlights was being named Top Jewelry Sales Consultant for Tacori Jewelry in 2013. As a reward for this achievement, she was given a complimentary trip to New York City and included in an article in Marie Claire, the magazine. Further, she counts being at the helm of Kassab Jewelers as her crowning accomplishment. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, after the downtown branch of her family’s business was vandalized, looted, and robbed, and six months later, the Lake Oswego branch was also robbed, Ms. Kassab-Daniken was able to guide her entire team to their most profitable year in 2021, in spite of the devastating events.
In the coming years, Ms. Kassab-Daniken’s goal is to establish a “magnificent showroom” by merging multiple locations into a single flagship store. This 8,000-square-foot shimmering space will provide a complete range of products and services. Clients will continue to have the wonderful experience of being treated with the utmost care and attention. As an added perk, they will be greeted with a more unique experience, as each jewelry category will have its own designated room. Couples who enter looking for wedding bands, for example, will be directed to a specific area where they can enjoy personalized consultation with an expert.
