Alo Names Former Dior, Miu Miu Executive Benedetta Petruzzo International CEO

MILAN – Alo is committing to its global expansion by appointing former Dior and Miu Miu executive Benedetta Petruzzo international chief executive officer.

Effective Saturday, Petruzzo will join the company in the newly created role, while the brand’s cofounders Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge will remain co-CEOs.

Petruzzo joins the Los Angeles-based wellness brand with a proven track record in the luxury industry. Most recently she was managing director at Christian Dior Couture, which she joined after serving as CEO at Miu Miu during a period of significant growth. Under her lead, the Prada Group-owned label became one of fashion’s most coveted names, with retail sales soaring.

Prior to that, Petruzzo was executive vice president for North America at Kering Eyewear, spending five years at the company. Holding degrees in business administration and a master of science in management from Bocconi University in Milan, she started her career in finance before joining management consultancy Bain & Co., where she specialized in the retail and luxury sectors.

Petruzzo’s appointment at Alo not only reflects the brand’s ambition in transitioning from a leader in the activewear space to a multicategory luxury label, but also the growing heat surrounding the wellness category overall.

Alo is banking on that interest. Petruzzo will help spearhead the next chapter of the company and further propel its international expansion by evolving the brand’s storytelling, client experience and market strategy while keeping wellness at the core of its proposition.

“We believe the future of luxury is wellness — and we’re building a global ecosystem around that belief,” said Harris. “Benedetta’s luxury expertise, strategic rigor, and feel for brand energy will help us take Alo’s momentum to the next level. She understands how to build desire at the highest end of the market while staying true to a brand’s DNA, which is exactly what this next chapter of Alo requires.”

In her first interview in the new role, Petruzzo told WWD that accepting the job “was natural — this was love at first sight.”

Already an Alo customer, she explained that a fortuitous meeting with Harris sparked an immediate connection, both on personal and professional levels. “In our conversation, I was impressed by the pureness and authenticity of the idea behind this company,” said Petruzzo.

“I wasn’t actively looking for a new job, and this wasn’t a case of an analytic choice. Even though I’m a person of numbers, I take the most important decisions with the heart and the guts,” she continued. “There was a strong connection I didn’t wanted to ignore, maybe because I’m turning 40 and I want to be more and more intentional in what I do. I believe in the identity of this brand and what it stands for.”

The brand ethos of wellness is luxury is among the aspects that resonated most with Petruzzo, who underscored the bond the company has with its community.

“The customer of the future expects brands to align with how they live, move and feel. We see great potential for our community to grow globally. Alo is uniquely positioned to lead that future,” she said, underscoring that the brand hasn’t expressed its full potential yet. 

Declining to disclose sales figures and goals, Petruzzo highlighted how the firm has “ambitious objectives but the main driver of our growth would be staying true to our DNA and making sure that we grow sustainably in the long term.”

“So we are not in a rush, but [still eager] to enlarge our community. [The focus is not moving] as fast as we can, but in the best way possible,” she said.

The retail rollout will be key. Alo currently operates 75 international stores across 25 countries and ships to more than 100 global destinations. The company aims to scale up its distribution footprint and leverage its physical stores — dubbed Alo Sanctuaries — not just as transactional spaces but hubs for community-building experiences.

“In 2026, if you want to buy a product you don’t need to go to a store, but I do believe they are essential to experience a brand — that is not a mere logo, but a creative platform telling stories,” said Petruzzo. “Our stores are called in this way because when you step into a sanctuary you connect with yourself. And that’s what we aim to do with events, hosting meditation and mindfulness sessions and yoga classes, getting to know the community around us and trying to become relevant for it.”

In a case of serendipity, the Italian executive joined the company just when it planted its first retail flag in her homeland. Quietly opened in Rome at the end of 2025, the unit marks Alo’s 12^th outpost in Europe.

Located in central Via del Babuino, a stone’s throw away from the landmark Spanish Steps, the 6,921-square-foot store across two levels blends Italian heritage with the brand’s contemporary image. The interior concept mixes original brick and sculptural elements with furniture and displays in wood and marble, showcasing Alo’s full range of high-performance and fashion-forward clothing conceived for movement and recovery, as well as its growing accessories category, including an area dedicated to bags. 

“This is the capital of a country which is very important for us, not only in terms of business but overall relevance for its fundamental role in fashion and luxury, but also craftsmanship, know-how and art of living,” said Petruzzo. She sees an affinity between the Californian values of mindfulness and wellness with the ones of living well and enjoying ordinary moments that are rooted in Italian culture. 

“There’s a connection between the two lifestyles… and I’m sure the Italian market will respond well to what Alo stands for. There’s so much space to grow and to let the brand be known here,” she said. Previously, Alo was only available to purchase in the country through its e-commerce.  

“We wanted this to be a space that is not only just for transactions, especially because it’s the first in a new market for us, so it has to be an expression of the brand,” she said. “Of course, we want this sanctuary to be a commercial success but creating the community around it is extremely important.”

To this end, the company will introduce its Alo Runners Club in Rome and, starting this week, it will stage a 30-day schedule of events and classes, including Ayla Pilates, Aura Sacred Space and Zem Yoga Studio.

The Rome store will be followed by a significant rollout plan, with a particular focus on Europe and Asia. Petruzzo pointed to a “high double-digit number of new openings” but declined to share details, explaining “this is a moving target, because there’s much interest around Alo but we want to do things with intention and at the right pace.”

Ditto for the product catalog, which will keep expanding to offer a total look to customers while staying true to the brand’s core business. For one, there’s more in the pipeline for the Alo Atelier collection, which marked the brand’s foray into the world of luxury when it launched with limited-edition pieces in 2021. Consumers’ demand and its success signaled to the brand that its community was seeking out elevated and design-forward styles to shop, encouraging Alo to further explore that direction. 

To wit, last year the company introduced its first luxury handbag line, handcrafted in Florence from Italian calfskin and suede and coming with a hand-selected Alo crystal. Last month, it expanded the range, complementing the full-sized pieces with the launch of mini styles. 

Also, in footwear, the brand recently unveiled its first sneaker collaboration, releasing an updated version of its debut Recovery Mode style with six-time NBA All-Star and Golden State Warriors guard Jimmy Butler.