Michael Hill, founder of the jewelry chain Michael Hill International, has just accepted a knighthood and now receives the title Sir Michael Hill.
Sir Hill, who is considered a household name in his native New Zealand, has also rubbed elbows with top American celebrities like Kim Kardashian, who teamed up with the designer for the 2010 competition “The Ultimate Engagement Ring: Search for the World’s Best Couple.”
Sir Michael Hill will continue to promote his philanthropic and business pursuits, and hopes his knighthood will serve to further promote his activities to the wider international community.
“The experience has been very humbling. If any benefit comes out of this to the charities I support and promote, then it has already been a very worthwhile achievement,” Sir Michael Hill said in a statement.
The Michael Hill jewelry business entered the North American market in 2002 opening up the first store in Vancouver, Canada. There are now 31 Michael Hill jewelry stores across four Canadian provinces including British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Alberta. In 2008 Michael Hill entered the USA and there are currently 9 stores open in the Greater Chicago area. Sir Michael Hill has a strong business vision for the North American market in particular, with plans to expand the business in the region. Currently operating 239 stores, 145 in Australia, 54 in New Zealand as well as Canada and the USA, his current goal is to open more than 1000 stores globally by 2022.