The chief executive of Gucci, Marco Bizzarri, is to leave the company in September. On confirming his departure, parent group Kering said Mr Bizzarri had been a key member of the group’s leadership team for 18 years and had “masterminded the execution of Gucci’s outstanding growth strategy since 2015”. Report by Leatherbiz.

In the wake of this, Kering has announced a series of senior appointments that it says will “reinforce stewardship” of its brands and strengthen the organisation as a whole.

Group managing director, Jean-François Palus, will move to Milan and take over as chief executive of Gucci.

In addition to her current role, the chief executive of Yves Saint Laurent, Francesca Bellettini, has been appointed as deputy chief executive of the Kering group. All other brand chief executives will now report to her. In this new role, she will attempt to steer all Kering brands towards what the group called “their next stages of growth”.

Ms Bellettini is to assume these new responsibilities gradually over the coming months, the group explained. To help her, it has also lined up a new senior management team for Yves Saint Laurent.

Chief finance officer, Jean-Marc Duplaix, has also been named as a deputy chief executive of the group, with responsibility for operations and finance. He will have responsibility for all group corporate functions and for enhancing efficiency and accountability.