Stefano Cantino
Chief executive of Gucci from January to September 2025
Stefano Cantino is an Italian luxury executive who served as chief executive of Gucci, the largest brand in the Kering group, from January to September 2025. Before Gucci he spent more than twenty years at Prada and later led communication and events at Louis Vuitton, making him one of the few communication specialists to run a major fashion house.
| Role | Chief executive of Gucci (January to September 2025) |
|---|---|
| Previous role | Senior vice president, communication and events, Louis Vuitton (from 2018) |
| Earlier career | More than 20 years at Prada |
| Education | Political science, University of Turin |
| Successor at Gucci | Francesca Bellettini (September 2025) |
Who is Stefano Cantino?
Stefano Cantino is an Italian fashion executive whose career has been built on brand building, communication and commercial development in luxury. He is best known for his short tenure as chief executive of Gucci, which he took up on 1 January 2025 at a time when Kering was trying to restore growth at its most important label. He graduated in political science from the University of Turin.
Career
Cantino spent more than two decades at Prada, where he held positions in marketing, corporate communication and commercial development and contributed to the group's global brand strategy and expansion. In 2018 he moved to Louis Vuitton as senior vice president of communication and events, overseeing the brand's global communication and its international events programme, an area that has become central to how luxury houses compete for attention.
In 2024 Kering recruited him to Gucci as deputy chief executive, reporting to Francesca Bellettini, who was then Kering's deputy chief executive in charge of brand development. He became chief executive of Gucci on 1 January 2025. In September 2025, shortly after Luca de Meo took over as chief executive of Kering, the group announced that Cantino would leave and that Bellettini would become president and chief executive of Gucci. Cantino thanked Gucci and Kering for the opportunity and said it had been an honour to contribute to the company's development.
Influence on the fashion business
Cantino's appointment reflected a wider trend in luxury: houses increasingly hand the top job to executives who come from brand, image and communication rather than finance or retail operations. His task at Gucci was to support the reset of the brand's creative direction and to stabilise sales after a period of decline. Key themes of his career include:
- Long experience inside a family controlled Italian luxury group at Prada
- Running global communication and events for the largest luxury brand at Louis Vuitton
- Leading Gucci during one of the most closely watched turnarounds in the sector
His departure after roughly nine months illustrates how quickly leadership changes in luxury when results disappoint and when a new group chief executive reshapes the management team.
Why it matters
Cantino's career shows how communication and events have become core management disciplines in the luxury business. For observers of the sector, his brief Gucci tenure is also a case study in the pressure on brand chiefs during a downturn, and in the 2025 leadership overhaul at Kering under its new chief executive.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Stefano Cantino?
Stefano Cantino is an Italian luxury executive who was chief executive of Gucci from January to September 2025. He previously spent more than twenty years at Prada and led communication and events at Louis Vuitton from 2018.
Why did Stefano Cantino leave Gucci?
Kering announced in September 2025 that Cantino would leave Gucci and that Francesca Bellettini would become its president and chief executive. The change came shortly after Luca de Meo became chief executive of Kering and began reorganising the group's leadership.