Michele Molon appointed CEO of the Schwan-Stabilo Group

Change at the top for the Schwan-Stabilo Group, which is redesigning its leadership structure with the appointment of Michele Molon as Group CEO, effective Oct. 1. The manager has more than 25 years of international experience in leadership roles, gained in both listed and family-owned companies, including Montblanc (Richemont Group) and Swarovski, where he has held several global executive roles from 2010 to the present.

Molon has played a central role in the repositioning of the Swarovski brand and its transformation into a modern, omnichannel company. He has served on several group subsidiaries’ boards and been globally responsible for licensing activities, including strategic agreements with international partners such as EssilorLuxottica and Coty. For Michele Molon, joining Schwan-Stabilo is a valuable choice, as well as a professional one: the opportunity to lead a family business founded on entrepreneurial spirit, long-term vision, and a solid internal culture.

In his role as the new CEO of the Schwan-Stabilo Group, which is active in the writing instruments division with Stabilo, cosmetics with Schwan Cosmetics, and outdoor apparel with the Deuter, Ortovox, Maier Sports, and Gonso brands, he will share responsibility for managing the business with chief financial officer (CFO) Anke Buttler.

“Leading the group’s business is the beauty division with 30 percent of turnover, followed by writing instruments and outdoor,” the newly appointed CEO, Michele Molon, tells FashionNetwork.com. “My entry marks an important generational change, along with the desire to take the group to an even more international level, to push on innovation and corporate size. The project looks at the medium term: the group is 170 years old and now looks at building the next 170. I have always admired Stabilo as a democratic brand and I like to call it the ‘owner of color.’ This prerogative is a great opportunity for growth, both across the three divisions and externally with collaborations, for example, in fashion. As demonstrated by the limited edition launched last year with Dolce & Gabbana, which sold out quickly,” Molon concludes.

A generational transition is planned well in advance to ensure stability and welcome new perspectives. A transition that looks to the future of this family business founded in 1865 and now in its sixth generation, active in a global economy. Indeed, Sebastian Schwanhäußer (61), longtime CEO and managing partner part of the founding family, will assume the role of chairman of the advisory board on July 1, 2025, after nearly three decades in various management roles.

The Schwan-Stabilo Group, headquartered in Heroldsberg, near Nuremberg, employs about 5,270 people spread across 38 locations worldwide and achieved sales of €797.2 million in fiscal year 2023/24.