In a surprise move that underlines the gravitational pull of today’s luxury behemoths, Miu Miu‘s chief executive officer Benedetta Petruzzo is joining Christian Dior Couture as managing director, WWD has learned.
Delphine Arnault, chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, confirmed Petruzzo’s arrival exclusively to WWD. She starts on Oct. 15.
“I am convinced that Benedetta’s talent and leadership will be major assets in the continued development of Dior’s activities and its international influence,” Arnault said. “Her expertise in the luxury market will persist in enhancing the desirability and success of Dior. Together, with the excellence of the teams in place, we will carry on building the future and strengthening our organization.”
Petruzzo is to succeed Dior’s current managing director, Charles Delapalme, who is to “take on important new responsibilities within the LVMH Group” following a transition period. Delapalme’s next move will be revealed at a later date.
In a statement shared with WWD, Arnault offered her warmest thanks to Delapalme “for his unfailing commitment and great contribution to Dior’s desirability since 2018.”
A veteran of LVMH, Delapalme joined Louis Vuitton in 2005, initially in North America, and moved over to Roman house Fendi in 2012, ultimately rising to become its managing director of retail and wholesale.
Contacted by WWD on Monday, Prada Group confirmed Petruzzo would leave Miu Miu. It is understood her successor at the Milan-based fashion house has yet to be named.
Petruzzo’s arrival represents the latest step in a gradual management renewal under Arnault, who arrived as chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture in February 2023.
Petruzzo’s appointment also reflects that today’s biggest luxury players can now attract CEO-level talents without having to anoint them with that title. Last April, Dior recruited Montblanc’s CEO Nicolas Baretzki as its new deputy managing director in charge of commercial activities, a new role.
The scale of today’s most successful brands means that executives who managed smaller houses can now exert an impact on multibillion-euro businesses, and accrue new skills in more complex corporate environments.
The stockpiling of high-caliber executives is also integral to succession planning, as LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton tends to promote from within. Roughly 70 percent of all key positions at the luxury giant are now filled via internal promotion, with women now occupying almost half of them.
“I am deeply honored to join Dior. I am proud to have been entrusted with this great responsibility and to join such an iconic house,” Petruzzo said in a statement. “I would like to warmly thank Delphine Arnault for the trust she has given me, and I look forward to collaborating closely with the executive committee and the zone presidents to further contribute to the development of Dior’s business.”
Delphine Arnault at Christian Dior fall couture 2024 show.
Stephane Feugere/WWD
Petruzzo assumed the management helm of Miu Miu in February 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc around the world.
Miu Miu’s recent growth has been explosive, with retail sales leaping 93 percent in the first half, outstripping growth at Prada, which came in at 6 percent in the six-month period.
Before joining Prada Group, Petruzzo was executive vice president for North America at Kering Eyewear, spending five years at the company.
She holds 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.
