Montblanc has announced the appointment of Giorgio Sarné to the role of CEO, effective November 15.
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Sarné brings over 20 years of senior management experience within the luxury industry to the Richemont-owned Montblanc, having held global roles in various luxury brands such as Veuve Clicquot and TAG Heuer. Most recently, Sarné was at U.S. luxury group Tapestry, where he led Stuart Weitzman as brand president and CEO for the last four years.
He is a graduate of both Bocconi University in Milan, and Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) in Paris.
“I am delighted to welcome Giorgio to the group as CEO of Montblanc,” said Philippe Fortunato, CEO of fashion and accessories maisons, Richemont.
“His strong expertise in building soft and hard luxury Brands comes at a pivotal moment as the maison celebrates the 100th anniversary of the iconic Meisterstück. Under Giorgio’s stewardship, Montblanc will continue to share its 118 year-old story and rich legacy of writing culture, leather craftsmanship and watchmaking in fresh and unexpected ways.”
Montblanc was founded as a writing instrument manufacturer in 1906. In 1977, it was acquired by Alfred Dunhill Ltd. in 1977, where the brand was used on a wide range of luxury goods other than pens. In 1993, Montblanc became part of the Swiss Richemont group.
“I am deeply honored and excited to step into the role of CEO at Montblanc, a maison renowned for its excellence in craftsmanship and innovation,” said Sarné. “I look forward to working closely with the talented teams at Montblanc to further nourish and celebrate the culture of writing globally.”
In its most recent trading update, parent company Richemont reported a 1 percent decline in first quarter sales to EUR 5.3 billion, with a slump in Greater China sales hindering sales growth in the Asia Pacific region.
The luxury conglomerate said all regions delivered growth for the three months except for Asia Pacific, where sales contracted by 18 percent, as higher sales in South Korea and Malaysia partially offset a 27 percent decline in Greater China.
Richemont said its Greater China region was hindered by a low level of consumer confidence and the strong comparatives ranging from double-digit growth in the mainland to triple digits in Hong Kong and Macau over the prior-year period.