Tiffany Names Former Bulgari Exec as Its New CEO

New York--Tiffany & Co. announced Thursday morning that it has named Alessandro Bogliolo as the company’s next chief executive officer.

He is expected to join the company by Oct. 2 and also will have a seat on Tiffany’s board of directors.

Bogliolo, 52, is a luxury industry veteran.

He has been the CEO of Diesel SpA, a global apparel and accessories company based in Breganze, Italy, since 2013. He has led efforts to revitalize the brand and enhance the customer experience.

Prior to that, he was chief operating officer for North America at Sephora USA Inc. from 2012 to 2013.

Bogliolo also spent 16 years at Bulgari, from 1996 to 2012. His roles there included COO and executive vice president of jewelry, watches and accessories.

His career began at global consulting firm Bain & Co., which he joined after graduating from Università Bocconi in Milan with a degree in business administration. He also later completed the International Management Program at HEC Paris.

Throughout his career, Bogliolo has worked in a range of countries, including China, Singapore, Italy, France, Spain and the United States.

“Alessandro has a well-deserved reputation for creativity and execution, having previously led a number of international brands to success and improved performance,” Tiffany Chairman and interim CEO Michael J. Kowalski said in a company statement.

“I also believe that his vision and team-oriented approach make him an ideal fit with Tiffany’s long-standing values. Tiffany is an iconic brand and is at an important time in its history. We look forward to Alessandro and the Tiffany team delivering a distinctive vision of luxury and style to our customers around the world, while also focusing on driving attractive returns for our shareholders.”

Kowalski has been heading Tiffany since February, when Frederic Cumenal stepped down after serving less than a year in the role.

Cumenal resigned after his attempts to refresh the brand’s image and attract a new generation of clients fell flat and sales remained weak worldwide.

As The Wall Street Journal pointed out in a profile on Tiffany & Co. that ran this past Sunday, the main job of the retailer’s new CEO will be to figure out how to make Tiffany “cool” again.