Robert Polet is Gucci's new managing director

The Gucci Group today announced the Supervisory Board's appointment of Robert Polet as Chairman and Managing Director of the Gucci Group and Chairman of the Management Board of the third most important luxury group in the world.

Robert Polet takes over from Domenico De Sole who will leave the company in April 30. His appointment will be confirmed by the General Meeting of the Shareholders to be convened in the coming weeks. Polet will also join the Management Board of Pinault Printemps Redoute, majority shareholders in the Gucci Group.

Polet (48) is Dutch and joins the Gucci Group after 26 years with Unilever. His last position was as chairmain of the 'Ice Cream and Frozen Foods' division at world level, a business with over 40 subsidiaries and a turnover of 7.8 billion dollars. In over three years at the head of the division, its operating margin grew by 70%. Prior to this, Robert Polet held various important positions within Unilever and was also the chairman of Unilever Malaysia, the chairman of Van den Bergh and executive vice president of the European division, 'Home and Personal Care'.

Robert Polet said: 'I am honored and proud to have been appointed as head of the Gucci Group. The Group's various brands are icons in the world of fashion and luxury and I consider it a unique opportunity to have been entrusted with their development. Taking over from Domenico De Sole is a challenge and I am looking forward to working with all the highly talented people who are part of the Gucci Group and to be able to write a new chapter if its brilliant story.'