Montblanc has recruited luxury veteran Giorgio Sarné as its next chief executive officer, and he starts on Nov. 15.
Sarné joins the Hamburg-based firm from footwear brand Stuart Weitzman in New York, where he has been president and CEO for the past four years.
This confirms a report in WWD on Sept. 6 that pointed to Montblanc as Sarné’s next career move.
Sarné succeeds Nicolas Baretzki, who left after an eventful seven-year tenure in 2023 and landed at Christian Dior Couture last April as deputy managing director in charge of commercial activities.
Over a career spanning more than 20 years, Sarné has held global roles at companies including Champagne house Veuve Clicquot and watchmaker Tag Heuer, both owned by French luxury giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Montblanc’s diverse products range from writing instruments an timepieces to leather goods, accessories, fragrances and eyewear.
It’s part of Swiss luxury group Compagnie Financière Richemont, parent of brands including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Chloé and Dunhill.
Philippe Fortunato, CEO of fashion and accessories maisons at Richemont, said Sarné’s “strong expertise in building soft and hard luxury brands comes at a pivotal moment as the maison celebrates the 100th anniversary of the iconic Meisterstück,” the brand’s iconic resin pen with its snow-cap emblem at one end, a gold-tipped nib at the other.
“Under Giorgio’s stewardship, Montblanc will continue to share its 118-old story and rich legacy of writing culture, leather craftsmanship and watchmaking in fresh and unexpected ways,” Fortunato added.
A graduate of Bocconi University in Milan and HEC in Paris, Sarné said he’s “deeply honored and excited to step into the role of CEO at Montblanc, a maison renowned for its excellence in craftsmanship and innovation. I look forward to working closely with the talented teams at Montblanc to further nourish and celebrate the culture of writing globally.”
