A new member of the Benetton family at the helm of the historic Italian clothing group: è Alessandro (48 years), appointed president today unanimously by the Board of Directors. His father, as well as the company's founder, Luciano Benetton, will leave his place, who will remain on the board as a non-executive director.
“I won't be honorary president – explained Luciano Benetton – but I will be a councillor, someone who has some experience tries to suggest it and have it applied. But not so much, I won't be invasive". The former president then bluntly ruled out the possibility of entering politics: "Absolutely not – he said – it would be a terrible step".
Meanwhile, the new president Alessandro announces a new market: the Benetton group – which continues on the path of delisting from Piazza Affari – took over 2% of Brunello Cucinelli, the Italian king of cashmere which, on the contrary, is about to be listed on the Stock Exchange. The investment of the Venetian company is around 10 million euros.
The new president then ruled out the hypothesis of alliances or industrial partnerships in the short term: "I do not envisage any alliance of financial or industrial partners in the short term - he explained during the press conference at the end of the shareholders' meeting - but, by nature, I do not make foreclosures”.
As for the rumors of an interest in the Spanish group Zara, Benetton explained that it is “a completely unfounded hypothesis. We want to focus on untapped business opportunities, nothing more at this stage."
