Ermenegildo "Gildo" Zegna (Italian pronunciation:[(ermene)ˈdʒildоdˈdzeɲɲa]; born 30 September 1955) is an Italian entrepreneur and manager, Chairman and CEOofErmenegildo Zegna Group. As a third-generation member of his family, he oversees the company, which was founded by his grandfather and namesake in 1910 in Trivero.
Gildo is a grandson of Ermenegildo Zegna, who founded the family business in 1910.
Born in Turin in 1955 and grown in Biella,[1] Gildo Zegna's father, Angelo, along with his brother Aldo, had been overseeing the business since the mid-1960s. Angelo served as the Company's honorary chairman until his death in 2021.[1][2][3]
Gildo Zegna entered the family business in 1982, assuming the role of President of Ermenegildo Zegna Corporation, where he managed the distribution of Zegna products in the U.S. and Canada.[4]
From 1986 to 1989, he served as CEO of Italco SA, supervising the distribution of Zegna products in Spain.[4][5]
Gildo Zegna has been a board member of Ermenegildo Zegna Group since 1989, becoming chief executive officer in 1997.[6]
Under his guidance the Group - born as a textile company which then developed into high-end menswear - has grown to become one of the main global players in the luxury sector, listed on the New York Stock Exchange,[7] also thanks to the acquisition of Thom Browne in 2018[8] and more recently, in 2023, of the TOM FORD FASHION business.[9]
In December 2021 the Group was listed on the New York Stock Exchange; subsequently, Ermenegildo Zegna also assumed the role of Chairman in addition to that of CEO. [10]
Besides leading the Zegna Group, Gildo Zegna serves as the Chairman of the board of directors at Thom Browne Inc., at Monterubello (the family company)[12] and at Tom Ford International. Additionally, he holds the position of Chairman at Filati Biagioli Modesto.[13] Gildo Zegna is also a member of the Strategic Committee and Advisor of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion).[14]
From 2014 to 2018, he was a board member at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.
In 2016, he received the Leonardo Prize from Italian President Sergio Mattarella, a prestigious award given to an Italian personality who has acted in a significant way to promote the image of Italy in the world.[15]
