Elisabetta Franchi
On September 29, Italian womenswear brand Elisabetta Franchi‘s parent company, Betty Blue S.p.A., announced that Marco Bizzarri, former CEO of Gucci and investor, has stepped down as Chairman of the Board of the Elisabetta Franchi brand. The role has now been taken over by the brand’s founder, Elisabetta Franchi.
According to the official statement, this personnel change was made “to effectively support future development and pursue the best interests of the company.”
In April 2024, a year after his departure from Gucci, Marco Bizzarri established a new investment holding company named Nessifashion through his firm Nessi SRL, and promptly acquired a 23% minority stake in Elisabetta Franchi. He subsequently assumed the role of Chairman of the Board.
It is reported that Marco Bizzarri sold his shares in July this year and submitted his resignation in early September.
From 2014 to 2024, Marco Bizzarri served as President and CEO of Gucci. Prior to that, he was President of Stella McCartney from 2005 to 2009, and President of Bottega Veneta from 2009 to 2014.
According to Milano Finanza, the holding company Betty Blue S.p.A., founded and operated by Elisabetta Franchi, saw its total revenue drop from €169.4 million to €166.4 million in the 2024 fiscal year, with a net profit of €24.8 million.
Above: Elisabetta Franchi (left), Marco Bizzarri (right)
Pandora
On September 30, Danish jewelry brand Pandora announced that after nearly seven years as President and CEO, Alexander Lacik will retire at the next Annual General Meeting on March 11, 2026. The company’s current Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Berta de Pablos-Barbier, will succeed him. She will lead the brand’s continued strategic development as a full jewelry brand, building on the strong performance under Lacik’s tenure.
Berta de Pablos-Barbier joined Pandora in November 2024 as CMO and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. As CMO, she successfully led the strategic repositioning of Pandora as a full jewelry brand—an essential pillar of the company’s growth strategy known as “Phoenix.” Under this new strategy, the brand has reached an all-time high in brand awareness, while the product and marketing portfolios have seen new waves of innovation.
A native of Spain, Berta de Pablos-Barbier brings 30 years of global executive experience across luxury and consumer goods brands. Before joining Pandora, she served as President and CEO of Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, and Mercier (all under LVMH), and previously held roles including Chief Growth Officer at Mars Wrigley, Chief Marketing Officer at Lacoste, and VP of Marketing and Communications at Boucheron (under Kering Group).
Peter Ruzicka, Chairman of the Board at Pandora, stated:
“The Board is delighted that Berta de Pablos-Barbier will be the next CEO of Pandora. Working alongside Alexander Lacik, she stood out as our top candidate during the search process. She is a visionary leader with strong analytical skills and an impressive blend of experience across luxury, fashion, and top-tier consumer brands. She is the right person to lead the continued growth of our company, and I am pleased we can maintain strategic focus and momentum during this orderly leadership transition.”
Alexander Lacik has served as Pandora’s President and CEO since April 2019, successfully reversing the brand’s downturn and launching the Phoenix strategy, transforming Pandora into a more comprehensive jewelry brand. Under his leadership, the company’s revenue grew by 45%, the global workforce expanded from 24,000 to 37,000 employees, and the e-commerce business made significant strides.
Before joining Pandora, Lacik was CEO of child safety product company Britax. Prior to that, he served as North America President at Reckitt Benckiser (owner of brands like Vanish, Dettol, and Veet), and held several sales and marketing roles at Procter & Gamble (P&G).
Above: Berta de Pablos-Barbier (left), Alexander Lacik (right)
Sunnei
On September 26, Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo, co-founders and creative directors of Italian fashion brand Sunnei, announced their departure.
Sunnei was founded by Messina and Rizzo in 2015 in Milan. Neither had formal education in fashion or design, but both had previous experience in photography, buying, and journalism.
Just hours before announcing their exit, they had presented their latest collection at Milan Fashion Week.
In 2020, Vanguards, the parent company of Hungarian designer brand Nanushka and an investment firm focused on fashion and lifestyle, acquired a majority stake in Sunnei for €6 million.
In a joint statement, they said: “After ten years, we are in urgent need of a change in form, not in direction. We will continue to work in the creative field—freer, more radical, and more experimental.”
Above: Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo
The Lycra Company
On September 25, sustainable fiber and technology solutions provider The Lycra Company announced two key executive appointments: Robert Johnston has been promoted from Executive Vice President of Operations to Chief Operating Officer, and Doug Kelliher has been appointed Executive Vice President of Products.
Doug Kelliher will also join the company’s Global Leadership Team, while Robert Johnston will continue in his leadership role.
Johnston has been with The Lycra Company and its predecessors for 35 years. In addition to his current responsibilities overseeing global manufacturing operations and IT, his role will expand to include product development. As COO, he will manage R&D talent, lab resources, and pilot production to drive innovation across the product portfolio, supporting the strategic growth priorities led by Doug Kelliher’s team.
Robert Johnston holds a master’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Queen’s University Belfast. He began his career at The Lycra Company’s plant in Maydown, Northern Ireland in 1990. Over the course of his career, he has held various roles across engineering, operations, technology, and functional leadership.
Doug Kelliher will lead the product management team, setting and executing the strategy for fiber, fabric, and apparel businesses. His team aims to deliver differentiated solutions that enhance product value and meet the needs of today’s consumers.
Kelliher joined The Lycra Company in October 2024 in a product management role. With over 30 years of experience in product leadership, he previously served as Vice President of Product Management at Polartec, a U.S. sustainable fabric manufacturer, from 2013 to 2023. Before that, he worked at Velcro from 2012 to 2013 as a Marketing Manager. Earlier in his career, he was a Purchasing Manager at Timberland’s Outdoor Performance Division (2002–2005) and spent a decade as a Product Manager at Eastern Mountain Sports (1992–2002).
Above: Robert Johnston (left), Doug Kelliher (right)
ACBC
On October 2, Italian sustainable sneaker brand ACBC announced the appointment of Davide Vassallo as Chairman of the Board.
Vassallo previously served as CEO of global operations management consultancy dss+, where he successfully led a major transformation of the company, achieving cross-industry growth, enhanced shareholder value, and long-term sustainability. Prior to that, he held roles at DuPont from 2010 to 2019, including Vice President and Global Managing Director. From 2003 to 2010, he worked at consulting firm Arthur D. Little as Manager and Director.
Davide Vassallo stated, “What excites me most is that ACBC has the potential to change the fashion industry from the product itself—using innovation to make sustainability the norm, not the exception. I will work with the CEO and management team to focus on driving ACBC’s international expansion, scaling the business, and bringing its responsible fashion model to new global markets.”
Above: Davide Vassallo
｜Source: Milano Finanza, Pandora official site, Telegraph247, The Lycra Company official site, ACBC official site
｜Image Credit: Elisabetta Franchi official site, Pandora official site, Sunnei official Weibo, The Lycra Company official site, ACBC official site
｜Editor: LeZhi
