The Harry Winston diamond company has appointed Cyrille Baudet Chief Financial Officer in place of Alan Mayne, who will remain in his position until April 30, Retail Jeweller reports.

Baudet – whose appointment is part of a larger restructuring within the company – will eventually relocate to North America, but for now will stay at the Harry Winston watch manufacturing facility in Geneva, Switzerland.

Baudet has extensive experience in the luxury goods sector, having worked as senior internal auditor for Richmont International, as well as for the Dunhill fashion brand and diamond jewelry manufacturer Cartier.

Harry Winston said it thanked Mayne for his efforts in "steering the financial affairs of the company through the turbulence of the recent global financial crisis."

Harry Winston's diamond sales rose 88% in the third quarter of 2010 compared to the corresponding period of 2009 and totaled $13.7 million, much of which was driven by the emerging Chinese market. Earlier this month, the company announced that it would be establishing a subsidiary in China and opening diamond jewelry boutiques in the mainland over the next nine months.