Santa Maria Novella appoints alumni of Prada and Bottega Veneta as its new CEO

Santa Maria Novella has introduced that Giovanna Paoloni will take the reins from Gian Luca Perris, who has been on the helm of the heritage Florentine apothecary since 2020. Perris, who hails from a household of perfumers, pushed ahead the perfume providing for Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica, bringing what’s arguably the oldest magnificence model on this planet – based by Franciscan monks in 1221 – into the twenty first century.

‘You will need to create improvements, whereas nonetheless holding in thoughts the roots that allowed this firm to final till now,’ Perris advised Wallpaper’s Mary Cleary when she interviewed him in 2023. ‘The monks had been nice innovators – they had been researching new substances, making new formulation, working with the Medici household to put money into chemistry and in prescription drugs; so we have to maintain that in thoughts, however we additionally want to return occasionally and reboot issues from the archive.’

Santa Maria Novella appoints a brand new CEO

It is sensible, then, that Giovanna Paoloni will proceed what Perris began, together with her 20 years of expertise at Italian vogue homes. (Paoloni started her profession in 2004 between Milan and London at Armani, joined the Prada Group’s Northern Europe division in 2007, working in wholesale after which in retail, and was retail director of magnificence at Harrods earlier than taking a place because the supervisor of Northern European enterprise for Bottega Veneta in 2019.) ‘I really feel the pleasure and duty to take over the management of this historic model, a heritage of Italian values and sweetness that has no equal on this planet,’ stated Paoloni in an announcement launched at present (25 January 2024).

Carlo Pesenti, the president of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella has additionally thanked Gian Luca Perris for his work, while underlining the explanations behind Paoloni’s appointment. ‘… we’re sure that because of her experience, worldwide expertise and strategic imaginative and prescient, Giovanna Paoloni will have the ability to give additional impetus to the worldwide improvement of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella,’ he stated.