MILAN — Kiko Milano has named Cecilia Schena its new chief marketing officer. Joining the Italian beauty brand’s global leadership team, Schena will report directly to chief executive officer Simone Dominici.
Schena exited the role of senior vice president for marketing and business development at cosmetics manufacturing company Chromavis — a division of French pharmaceutical company Fareva — which she joined in 2019.
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Counting more than 20 years of experience in the beauty industry, Schena also worked for Italian beauty tools specialist Tenacta Group, where she was head of the beauty division for the Imetec, Bellissima and Ducati by Imetec brands, leading the development of the hair care, skin care and men’s care categories at a global level, contributing to boosting the group’s internationalization and innovation strategy. Previously, she held leading roles in marketing and communications at Bottega Verde and Deborah Group.
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At Kiko Milano, Schena will be tasked to further accelerate the company’s growth, with a particular focus on the areas of customer experience and innovation, leveraging her knowledge in product development and ability to scout new makeup trends.
“Cecilia brings with her a wealth of knowledge on product development and marketing excellence that will be fundamental to help accelerate Kiko’s growth, strengthening the brand on its path of omnichannel, as well as geographic expansion in the main beauty categories,” said Dominici, who was appointed CEO last year.
Schena described Kiko Milano as “the most emblematic international beauty brand in Italy” and said she is eager to contribute to its expansion into other markets.
Established in 1997 by entrepreneurs Antonio and Stefano Percassi, Kiko Milano is controlled by Percassi’s Odissea Srl holding and generated sales of 671 million euros in 2022, up 41.6 percent versus the previous year and beating the results of its best year in 2017, when the group generated sales of 610 million euros.
The company counts more than 1,000 stores in 40 countries and sells its products in more than 62 markets.
Last year, the founding family bought back the 38 percent stake private equity fund Peninsula Capital had held in the firm since first investing in the company in 2018 through an 80 million euro capital increase.