Safilo’s North America office is seeing a change in its top ranks. Current president and chief commercial officer Steve Wright is retiring, and Francesco Rinaldi Ceroni is stepping into his shoes.
Rinaldi Ceroni has been with the Safilo Group since June 2020 as the global general manager of Smith Optics — the largest brand in the company’s portfolio. He will maintain many of these responsibilities in his new role, according to a company statement, with the additional title of global president for Smith Optics. He officially begins his new job on June 1.
Mark Phares, Smith’s director of global wholesale, has been promoted to the brand’s general manager.
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Prior to Safilo, Rinaldi Ceroni worked as vice president of international strategy and business development at Costa del Mar, a subsidiary of EssilorLuxottica.
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He said in a statement: “I am honored to take the leadership of Safilo North America and to follow the great work that Steve and the team have done here serving our customers. This market is critical to the group’s overall success and given the strength of the team that’s been built and the plans they already have underway, we look to the future with optimism.”
Smith and the U.S. played a significant role in Safilo’s performance last year. As reported, Safilo in 2021 delivered results well above 2019 levels and returned to the black last year, thanks to a solid execution of its business transformation and a rebalancing of its brands.
Smith’s goggles and helmets business soared, and the U.S. market was the main driver for the group compared to the previous year and versus 2019.
Sales in 2021 reached 969.6 million euros, up 26.3 at constant exchange rates compared to 780.3 million euros recorded in 2020. Compared to 2019, sales rose 7.5 percent.
Commenting those results, Trocchia said at the time that 2021 was “a record year for Smith, which became the biggest brand in our portfolio.”
At constant exchange rates, in 2021, sales in North America amounted to 466.2 million euros, up 40.5 percent on 2020 and they were up 47 percent compared with 2019, thanks to the strong growth in the organic business, up 15.9 percent, the acquisitions of Blenders and Privé Revaux and the new licenses.
Wright, who has been in his role since June 2018, added of his retirement: “I leave Safilo and the incredible team we have in place, with a mix of emotions. When I accepted the challenge from Angelo [Trocchia, global chief executive officer of Safilo Group] to lead the rebuilding of Safilo in North America, I knew we had to move quickly. I’m proud of the results we have achieved in just a few years.
“It is the exclamation point on a long career within the eyewear industry and it was a privilege to be part of this organization. I look forward to Francesco taking the reins and achieving even greater things for Safilo in the market as he and the team write its next successful chapter.”
Trocchia himself remarked on what’s ahead: “North America has a central role in Safilo’s strategy and business growth. I thank Steve for his countless contributions to the group and extend my best wishes for his retirement. Francesco has driven the implementation of key transformational projects for the Smith division over the past two years, fully embracing the digital acceleration and innovative responsibility that sets Safilo Group apart in the marketplace. I’m very excited about where Safilo is today and the next chapter for North America, and I wish all the best to Francesco in his new role.”
Safilo produces eyewear under license for brands ranging from David Beckham and Missoni to Levi’s, Isabel Marant, Kate Spade, Tommy Hilfiger, Under Armour, Chiara Ferragni, Carolina Herrera and Jimmy Choo among others and includes proprietary brands ranging from Carrera to Safilo.
– With contributions from Luisa Zargani, Milan