Eyewear Manufacturer Thélios Appoints New CEO – WWD
MILAN – Italian eyewear manufacturer Thélios is looking for a new executive with substantial industry experience.
Former Luxottica Group chief executive officer Alessandro Zanardo has been appointed to the role effective immediately.
Thélios is controlled by luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, and the internal announcement of Zanardo’s arrival was made by Andrea Guerra, CEO of LVMH Hospitality Excellence and member of the executive committee. LVMH.
The team highlighted Zanardo’s “leadership skills, growth vision and extensive experience in large organizations”, which are considered “keys to maintaining Thélios as a sustainable major player in the eyewear industry”. .
Zanardo started his career with Ferrari in 2002. He then joined the strategic consulting firm Roland Berger in 2007. From 2010 to 2021, he held a series of positions at Luxottica Group, from director business development manager in Russia and country manager in South Africa, to general manager in Brazil.
He graduated from SDA Bocconi University, with an MBA in international economics, and holds a degree in economics and management from the same prestigious institution in Milan.
LVMH takes full control Thélios last December after agreeing to buy Marcolin’s 49% stake in the company for an undisclosed amount. Separately, Marcolin acquired the 10% stake LVMH owns in that Italian company.
This step allows LVMH to further strengthen its presence in glasses industry, leveraging the expertise of Thélios. Thélios produced for DiorFendi, Celine, Loewe, Stella McCartney, Kenzo, Fred, Berluti and Rimowa.
As reported in September, Givenchy to be the latest LVMH brand to join the portfolio of Thélios, starting in January.
2021 sees the arrival of Dior in January, and Fendi in July, bowing for the fall of 2021.
The general consensus is that Thélios will gradually produce eyewear collections for most, if not all, of the brands under the auspices of LVMH. Thélios also produces a part for Louis Vuitton, the eyewear company that is sold only through its own boutiques.
Thélios employs 800 employees, 600 of which are in Italy, and production spans more than 194,400 square feet.
The modern factory in Longarone, an hour’s drive from Venice, opened in 2018.
Its former CEO Giovanni Zoppas exited in May to join Tecnica Groupspecializes in footwear and outdoor ski equipment.
https://wwd.com/business-news/human-resources/thelios-appoints-new-ceo-1235060354/ Eyewear Manufacturer Thélios Appoints New CEO – WWD
