Luxottica Group has appointed Alessandro Pozzi as Luxottica Head of Global Channel. He is charged with overseeing travel retail, department stores, license boutiques and the development of the Sunglass Hut brand in airports and department stores worldwide.
The Italian eyewear giant* is a leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and sale of fashion, luxury and sports eyewear,
Pozzi replaces Francis Gros, who has stepped down in order to pursue career opportunities outside the Group.
Pozzi, formerly Luxottica’s Head of STARS – the Group’s business unit responsible for retail partnerships, inventory management and supply chain innovation – has over 20 years’ experience in fashion, retail and eyewear. He has been with Luxottica Group since 2013, including several years as Global Boutiques Director. Before joining Luxottica, he held the position of Managing Director for Tommy Hilfiger Italy, and other roles with Tommy Hilfiger, Mexx, Sergio Tacchini and Benetton.
Gros has steered Luxottica’s thriving travel retail business for over a decade, firstly as Group Travel Retail Director. He helped found and grow the company’s dedicated worldwide division, with regional offices established in London, Miami and Singapore. During this time, he played a pivotal role in the growth of the sunglasses category, including creating the Sunglasses Workshop and Awards programme nine years ago. He has also been a strong advocate of the sunglasses ‘multi-formatting’ strategy and the Trinity partnership model.
Gros has been a member of the TFWA Management Committee since October 2012, and has held the position of Vice-President Conferences and Research since October 2016.
*Luxottica’s portfolio includes proprietary brands such as Ray-Ban, Oakley, Vogue Eyewear, Persol, Oliver Peoples and Alain Mikli, plus licensed brands including Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Bvlgari, Chanel, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferrari, Michael Kors, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., Valentino and Versace. The Group’s global wholesale distribution network covers more than 150 countries and is complemented by an extensive retail network of approximately 9,000 stores. Luxottica posted net sales of over €9 billion in 2016. See www.luxottica.com.
