Marco Gobbetti
Chief Executive, Ferragamo
The Italian executive has a strong track record in leading luxury companies, most notably at Céline where together with Phoebe Philo he generated double digit growth.
Marc Gobbetti is the chief executive at Ferragamo. The former chief executive of Burberry is no stranger to the luxury fashion industry, after having spent more than two decades in various executive roles at a slew of fashion brands like Bottega Veneta, Givenchy and Céline, where he led the company into double-digit growth with creative director Phoebe Philo . Gobbetti joined Céline in 2008 as chief executive, and immediately got to work with Philo revamping the brand’s entire product offering and achieving double-digit sales growth. Parent company LVMH said the decision boosted the brand “overnight.”
With a degree in Business Administration from the American University in Washington and a Masters degree in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management in Phoenix, Gobetti has built up an impressive resume in retail, specialising in the leather goods sector and luxury goods. From 1984 to 1989, he worked as sales director for the United States division of Bottega Veneta and later as marketing and sales director, before joining luxury leather specialist Valextra as managing director.
In 1993, Gobbetti moved to Moschino where he took on the role of chief executive. In 2004, he became chief executive and chairman at LVMH-owned Givenchy, where he worked closely with creative director Riccardo Tisci . After four years leading Givenchy, Gobbetti moved within the LVMH family to join Céline as chief executive in 2008.
In July 2016, Gobbetti became chief executive at Burberry, succeeding Christopher Bailey in 2017, who was demoted to president and chief creative officer. Bailey remained as chief creative officer until March 31 2018 before being succeeded by Riccardo Tisci.
Gobbetti oversaw the commercial, financial and operational side of the business, while Tisci focused on creative, design, marketing and communication. Both managed strategy and the creation of their team, while reporting to Burberry chairman Gerry Murphy.
In January 2022, took the helm at Italian luxury brand Ferragamo. He has set plans to double sales, speaking to BoF in May 2022, in a race to refresh its products and image in a bid to attract Gen-Z clients.
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ExploreWhat 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.
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