Burberry CEO Start Date Confirmed

Burberry has confirmed that its new CEO, Marco Gobbetti, will start with the company on January 27. He will initially hold the role of executive chairman, Asia Pacific and Middle East, reporting to chairman John Peace, until July 5 when he will become chief executive officer and join the board.

Gobbetti joins Burberry from Céline, where he was chairman and CEO, a position he held since 2008. News of his appointment at the British powerhouse came after continued speculation about the management set-up at the house, with many of its shareholders calling for the business and creative responsibilities to be split up. Now Gobbetti's managerial experience and Bailey's creative expertise are being mooted as an astute fashion match.

"As soon as I met Gobbetti, we had a very, very strong chemistry,” said Bailey last year. “ He has a profound understanding of retail and retail execution. He has also got an incredibly global experience; he is somebody that has done a lot of work in the US, of course in Europe but also in Asia, so he thinks very globally and that is relatively unusual."

“Marco brings incredible experience and skills in luxury and retail with him that will be invaluable to us,” he continued. “On a personal level, I know that we are going to enjoy a wonderfully collaborative partnership that makes me very excited for our future at Burberry."

This year marks the continued see-now, buy-now approach adopted by the brand in 2016. As one of the first major British fashion houses to do so, Burberry has spearheaded the change in fashion format, and will be looking to repeat the commercial success of its critically acclaimed September show, which saw the brand take over a disused site in London's Soho and transform it into Maker's House.