Marco Bizzarri
Former President and Chief Executive, Gucci
The executive led the Italian fashion house into the strongest period of financial growth and critical success it has seen in 20 years.
Marco Bizzarri is Gucci’s former president and chief executive. After he took up the role in January 2015, one his first strategic decisions was appointing Alessandro Michele as creative director of the Italian fashion house.
Highly respected throughout the industry as both a manager of talent and an astute business brain, Bizzarri has played an increasingly integral role at Kering over the past decade. Before his Gucci appointment, Bizzarri served as the chief executive of Kering’s Luxury Couture & Leather Goods division. The Italian executive first joined the group in January 2005, when he was appointed president and chief executive of Stella McCartney .
Bizzarri became a member of the executive committee of Kering in 2012; the following year he was selected to be a non-voting director of the Kering board of directors, before being appointed the chief executive of its Luxury Couture & Leather Goods division in April 2014. "In a pivotal new role for Kering, Marco Bizzarri will start to influence and shape the brands for years to come," said Jonathan Akeroyd , then-chief executive of Kering-owned Alexander McQueen . As Luxury Couture & Leather Goods chief executive, Bizzarri oversaw the chief executives of Kering brands Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Brioni, Christopher Kane , Stella McCartney, Tomas Maier and Sergio Rossi.
In July 2023, it was announced that Bizzarri will be stepping down from the helm of Gucci.
VITAL STATISTICS
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The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
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Margherita Missoni’s Maccapani Brand Attracts Investment From Bizzarri Family, Collaborates With eBay
The family of former Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri has taken a minority stake in the Italian knitwear scion’s new womenswear venture.
Work-in-Progress Gucci Weighs on Owner Kering
A rapid turnaround at the Italian megabrand seems firmly off the menu, leaving parent Kering in a tricky position, writes columnist Luca Solca.
Five Key Questions on Kering and Mayhoola’s Valentino Deal
The French group will pay €1.7 billion for 30 percent of the Italian couture house as the first step in a broader partnership with owner Mayhoola. What will the deal mean for Kering, Valentino, Mayhoola and the wider fashion landscape?
Five Key Questions on Kering and Mayhoola’s Valentino Deal
The French group will pay €1.7 billion for 30 percent of the Italian couture house as the first step in a broader partnership with owner Mayhoola. What will the deal mean for Kering, Valentino, Mayhoola and the wider fashion landscape?
Who Should Be Gucci’s New CEO?
Following this week’s announcement that longtime Gucci chief Marco Bizzarri will exit the company in September, Imran Amed shares his top picks for one of the top jobs in the global luxury industry.
As Gucci’s CEO Steps Down, Saint Laurent’s Chief Steps Up
Marco Bizzarri led the Italian luxury giant through a historic expansion before the business struggled to bounce back from the pandemic. Parent company Kering announced the move as part of a broader executive shakeup after which Saint Laurent CEO Francesca Bellettini will oversee all the group’s brands.
As Gucci’s CEO Steps Down, Saint Laurent’s Chief Steps Up
Marco Bizzarri led the Italian luxury giant through a historic expansion before the business struggled to bounce back from the pandemic. Parent company Kering announced the move as part of a broader executive shakeup after which Saint Laurent CEO Francesca Bellettini will oversee all the group’s brands.
Gucci Hires Behind-the-Scenes Designer From Valentino as Creative Director
Sabato De Sarno, a close associate of star designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, will succeed Alessandro Michele at the creative helm of Italy’s biggest brand.
Why Gucci Wanted a Change — And What’s Next
The market is still digesting Gucci’s move to part ways with Alessandro Michele. A slowdown at Kering’s flagship brand was complicating the company’s wider ambitions, but change comes with risk as well as potential reward.
Why Alessandro Michele Is Exiting Gucci
From 2015 to 2019, the designer’s trendsetting maximalist vision powered the modern luxury sector’s most successful turnaround ever. But more recently Kering’s flagship brand has struggled to keep up momentum.
Gucci Needs Creative Change, Says New Consensus
With Kering’s flagship brand struggling to keep up momentum, analysts and investors rallied around a report saying creative director Alessandro Michele is set to leave the company.
The Secrets to Kering’s Fashion Success
The group’s focus on luxury fashion has paid off, thanks to bets on bold creativity and the designer, CEO and merchandiser ‘tripods’ it typically installs at its brands, writes Luca Solca.
What is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
