Francesca Bellettini Appointed CEO of Gucci, the Florentine Luxury Icon

Kering has announced the appointment of Francesca Bellettini as President and Chief Executive Officer of Gucci. She will report directly to Luca de Meo, the new CEO of the French luxury group, while Jean-Marc Duplaix will remain Group Chief Operating Officer. With this change, the position of Deputy CEO at Kering has been eliminated.

Bellettini, born in Cesena in 1970 and described by Le Monde as a “billion-dollar woman,” has had a long career within the Kering group. After early experiences in finance and fashion houses such as Prada and Helmut Lang, she joined Kering in 2003 as Strategic Planning Director at Gucci. She later held senior roles at Bottega Veneta before becoming President and CEO of Saint Laurent in 2013. In 2023 she was appointed Deputy CEO of Kering, responsible for brand development.

Her new role at Gucci places her at the helm of one of the most important names in global fashion — and one with deep Florentine roots. Founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci in Florence, the house quickly became synonymous with Italian craftsmanship and elegance. Today Gucci remains headquartered in Florence, producing leather goods, shoes, accessories, clothing, jewelry, watches, fragrances, cosmetics, and even home décor.

Over the past century, Gucci has grown from a small Florentine workshop into an international powerhouse, now part of Kering, with more than 500 boutiques worldwide and revenues exceeding €10 billion in 2022. Despite being owned by a French group, the brand’s Florentine identity continues to be central to its image and heritage, making Bellettini’s appointment a new chapter in a story that began on the streets of Florence.

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