Sergio Rossi names former Belstaff chief as new CEO

Italian luxury footwear brand Sergio Rossi has named former Belstaff and Anya Hindmarch chief Helen Wright as its new CEO effective immediately.

Wright was CEO at Belstaff from 2017 to 2020 and prior to that was CEO at Anya Hindmarch and her career also takes in senior roles at Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi, Bamford and Ralph Lauren. Most recently she was CEO at dance brand Bloch.

Sergio Rossi said Wright had a strong track record in “business transformation, and building scale and value for shareholders, always with a customer-centric approach”.

"Ms. Wright will concentrate on the strategic transformation of the house, defining and leading Sergio Rossi’s global strategy, collaborating with stakeholders and valued business partners to deliver sustainable growth. There will be key focus on collection content, distribution channel optimization, brand visibility and execution, and the continued development and commercial strategy for vital markets such as North America, UAE, Japan, and Greater China," Sergio Rossi said in a statement. 

Wright said of her appointment: “I am very pleased to join Sergio Rossi. More than a precious heritage brand, Sergio Rossi is an industry reference for the highest quality and style in handmade, luxury footwear, made in Italy, since its foundation in San Mauro Pascoli in 1951. With the support and know-how of its specialist teams, valued business partners and shareholders, the brand now turns squarely towards the future. We have important new horizons and new audiences to reach as we revitalize this great company. We’re inspired by our past, and motivated by the bright future we have already started to build together.”

Wright replaced interim CEO Paul Kotrba who himself had replaced Riccardo Sciutto in May of this year.

China's Fosun Group, which also owns Lanvin, acquired Sergio Rossi from Absolute Luxury Holding in 2021.