Tiffany & Co. said Thursday that it has named Alessandro Bogliolo, the former head of global apparel and accessories company, Diesel, as its next chief executive officer and newest board member. He will join the company on October 2.
Bogliolo, 52, is a veteran luxury industry executive who for the past four years led Diesel's efforts to revitalize its brand and enhance the customer experience, according to a statement by Tiffany. He also worked for 16 at Bulgari SpA, including in the roles of chief operating officer and executive VP of Jewelry, Watches & Accessories. During his career, Bogliolo has worked in a range of countries, including China, Singapore, Italy, France, Spain and the United States.
“Today's announcement concludes the board's thorough process to identify and recruit an accomplished leader to position the Company for sustainable growth in the years ahead,” Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and interim CEO, said in a statement. “Alessandro has a well-deserved reputation for creativity and execution, having previously led a number of international brands to success and improved performance. I also believe that his vision and team-oriented approach make him an ideal fit with Tiffany’s long-standing values. Tiffany is an iconic brand and is at an important time in its history. We look forward to Alessandro and the Tiffany team delivering a distinctive vision of luxury and style to our customers around the world, while also focusing on driving attractive returns for our shareholders.”
“I am honored and excited by the opportunity to lead this remarkable company,” Bogliolo said. “Tiffany, with its legendary history, has always represented luxury, style, and an extraordinary standard of quality and excellence, and I look forward to working with the board and the rest of the Tiffany team to build on this foundation. It is my goal to continue to delight our customers with compelling product offerings, supported by best-in-class operations. I am committed to strengthening the company's position as one of the world's most important luxury brands and delivering value for all of our stakeholders.”
The new appointment is the latest development in leadership changes that began February 5, with the resignation of its former CEO, Frederic Cumenal, on Super Bowl Sunday, the same day it launched Lady Gaga as the face of its new fashion jewelry collection, Tiffany HardWear, with its first ever Super Bowl commercial prior to her halftime performance.
He was replaced in the interim by Michael J. Kowalski, the former longtime CEO of Tiffany’s and its current board chairman.
Later in the month the luxury jewelry retailer announced that it has increased its board of directors from 10 to 13 members. The most familiar name within the jewelry trade is Francesco Trapani, the former CEO of the Italian jewelry house, Bulgari. The other new members were also associated with high profile companies: Roger Farah, co-CEO of the fashion brand, Tory Burch, and James Lillie, the former CEO of the former consumer products conglomerate, Jarden Corp.
In the same announcement Kowalski said he plans to step down as board chairman.
Bogliolo started his career at the global consulting firm Bain & Co., after graduating from UniversitaÌ Bocconi with a degree in business administration and later completed the International Management Program at HEC Paris. According to his Linkedin profile, he also served as COO of North America for Sephora and as VP of sales and marketing in Greater China for the Piaggio Group, an Italian company that produces scooters, mopeds and motorcycles under several brand names.
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