Gucci is changing leadership. Francesca Bellettini has been named president and chief executive officer of the fashion house by Kering, the luxury group that also controls Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta. She replaces Stefano Cantino, who stepped down after just nine months. The appointment marks the first major management move under Kering’s new CEO, Luca de Meo, to whom Bellettini will report directly.

Nicknamed by Le Monde “the billion-dollar woman,” Bellettini was born in Cesena in 1970. She studied Economics and Business Management at Bocconi University in Milan and spent time at the University of Chicago. Her career began in investment banking between New York and London, before moving into fashion at Prada and Helmut Lang. She joined Kering in 2003, taking on strategic roles at Gucci and Bottega Veneta, before being appointed president and CEO of Saint Laurent in 2013. A decade later, in 2023, she became deputy CEO of Kering with responsibility for brand development.

With her new role at Gucci, Kering has abolished the position of deputy CEO, previously held by Jean-Marc Duplaix. Duplaix will remain the group’s chief operating officer, working alongside de Meo.