Armani Taps Insider Giuseppe Marsocci as CEO to Steer Post-Founder Era

The Financial Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, and the Hill contributed to this report.

Giorgio Armani has handed the reins to a familiar face. Giuseppe Marsocci — the group’s deputy managing director and global commercial chief — has been promoted to CEO following the designer’s death last month, a move meant to signal continuity as the Italian house enters its next act.

The company said Marsocci was chosen for his more than 35 years in fashion and luxury, including 23 at Armani, calling the appointment “an important confirmation of the united will of the Armani family to continue the project that Giorgio Armani built over 50 years.” A longtime lieutenant who once ran the brand’s US business before working alongside Mr. Armani in Milan, the 61-year-old now faces a delicate transition in a tougher luxury market.

At the top of his to-do list: executing the founder’s succession blueprint. Armani’s will asks heirs to sell an initial 15% stake within 18 months, with preference to LVMH, L’Oréal, or EssilorLuxottica — strategic partners already tied to the brand through beauty and eyewear licenses. If no deal materializes, the fallback is a potential stock-market listing analysts say could value the group north of €7 billion.

Marsocci will report to chairman Leo Dell’Orco, Mr. Armani’s longtime right hand, while niece Silvana Armani becomes vice-chair. The Armani Foundation — created by the founder to anchor governance — backed the appointment, underscoring the message from the new leadership: steady hands, same vision, and a careful search for the right partner at the right price.