Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, the historic Florentine brand founded in 1221 and considered the oldest pharmacy in the world, has appointed Ludivine Pont as its new CEO.
Pont is a well-known figure in the luxury industry. She joins Officina Santa Maria Novella from Balenciaga, where she was Chief Marketing Officer. Her new position takes effect in September.
Pont’s appointment comes 18 months after Giovanna Paoloni was named CEO of the Florence-based brand. According to her LinkedIn profile, Paoloni quit Officina Santa Maria Novella in January this year.
In a busy career, Pont has held leadership roles across several major global fashion houses, notably contributing to the international expansion of Philipp Plein. Subsequently, she joined Moncler in 2016, where she led the development of new brand platforms and innovative communication models.
In 2021, she moved to Balenciaga, where she worked closely with artistic director Demna to develop a culturally resonant strategy, expanding the brand’s global resonance through a creative-led approach and digital innovation. In 2022, she was named among Forbes’ Most Entrepreneurial CMOs in Marketing.
In her new role, Pont will be responsible for leading the brand’s global development, building on the unique heritage and artisanal know-how of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, with the ambition to affirm its positioning as the original and timeless expression of pharmaceutical and botanical care, the brand said in a release.
“We are delighted to welcome Ludivine Pont to the Italmobiliare Group: thanks to her profound skills, international experience and strategic vision, we are certain she is the right person to contribute to the growth of the Group, giving further impetus to the global development of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, always respecting the values and peculiarities that make the company a brand without equal in the world,” said Carlo Pesenti, CEO of Italmobiliare and Chairman of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella,
Added Pont: “It is a great honor and a profound responsibility to take on the leadership of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella.”
“This is a house with an extraordinary legacy, over eight centuries of botanical and pharmaceutical excellence. My goal is to carry this heritage forward and create an experience of timeless care that speaks to the senses, to beauty, and to time,” she continued.
Until September, the company will continue to be led by General Manager Giampiero Pesenti and the current management team. Thereafter, Giampiero Pesenti will continue to play a central role in the operational guidance of the company, supporting the new phase of strategic development under the leadership of Ludivine Pont.
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is currently present in over 30 countries, with a network of more than 400 points of sale. Since its acquisition in 2020, Italmobiliare has supported the company’s international development and strategic transformation.
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