Resuffling its senior management team, luxury brand Gucci has promoted Francesco Falai, Senior Vice President-Global People to the post of the brand’s new Chief People Officer. To assume office on Jan 01, 2025, Falai will succeed Luca Bozzo, Head-HR, when Stefano Cantino will replace Jean-Francois Palus as the brand]s new CEO.
Armed with a degree in economics from the University of Florence, Falai is an alumni of the SDA Bocconi business school in Milan. He started his career at Florentine leather goods producer Pelletteria Fontana, before moving on to Salvatore Ferragamo’s sales department. In 2005, he joined Prada and worked with the brand for 12 years in different positions.
In 2012, Falai was named Head -HR Worldwide for the commercial and retail departments at Prada-owned footwear label Church’s. In 2017, he joined Gucci to oversee human resources worldwide for the retail and omnichannel functions, and gradually expanded his remit until the latest promotion.
In his new role, Falai aims to lead Gucci’s HR strategy, inspiring excellence in execution and encouraging the organisation’s transformation and expansion. He will collaborate with stakeholders across the company to boost the staff’s contribution to the business.
Besides promoting Cantino from deputy managing director to CEO, and hiring Leberichel, Gucci recently also hired other senior executives, like Marcello Mastrogiacomo, as Vice-President - Digital Marketing and Media, and Daniela Raganato, Global Media Director, while in September Davide Buzzoni was named Global Communications Director.
