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Bartolomeo “Leo” Rongone is set to exit his role as chief executive of Kering’s Bottega Veneta in March and join Moncler as group CEO, effective April 1.
Current Moncler CEO Remo Ruffini will transition to an executive chairman role at the down-jacket maker.
“We made a forward-looking decision that I see as a natural evolution of our corporate organization, also in view of a possible generational succession in the future,” Ruffini said in a statement. “[Leo’s] knowledge of the luxury world and customer-centric approach will make a decisive contribution to our future journey.”
Moncler has been one of luxury’s most stable success stories, with revenues that have more than quadrupled since its 2013 IPO. But the brand finally succumbed to the industry’s slowdown this year, with growth increasing just 1 percent in the first half of the year.
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Ruffini’s decision to step aside echoes succession moves across the Italian luxury industry: Prada Group co-founder Patrizio Bertelli and Zegna Group’s Gildo Zegna have also taken similar steps in recent years, tapping outside managers as CEO while staying on as chairman.
Rongone makes for an attractive profile, having kept up momentum at Bottega Veneta through the coronavirus crisis, two designer transitions and an industry-wide slowdown.
He got his start in luxury at Fendi before joining Kering as chief operating officer of Yves Saint Laurent in 2012. He was named CEO of Bottega Veneta in 2019, as interest in the house was rebounding under the creative direction of Daniel Lee.
Following Lee’s 2021 exit, Rongone worked with successor Matthieu Blazy to hone a message that mixed understated heritage, high craft and runway innovation. After Blazy landed the top job at Chanel in late 2024, Rongone oversaw a second transition that culminated in Louise Trotter’s well-received debut show in September.
Bottega Veneta was one of just a handful of luxury brand’s to report growth in 2020, the peak of the coronavirus crisis. Sales went on to surge in 2021 and 2022 before pulling back slightly in 2023. The brand returned to growth from 2024, making it a standout in the portfolio of Kering, which has struggled to navigate a shift to more timeless, understated luxury as well as crumbling demand from aspirational luxury shoppers.
“I would like to thank Leo Rongone for his leadership and for the significant contribution he has made to Bottega Veneta over the past six years,” Kering CEO Luca de Meo said.
A selection process for a new CEO is already underway, with Bottega Veneta’s next to be announced “in the near future,” according to the group.
The role of CEO at Bottega Veneta will be one of De Meo’s first major hires since taking over as Kering CEO in September.
