Sebba was at the helm of the luxury fashion e-tailer for over a decade, serving as CEO from 2003 to 2014, and previously as the company’s chief operating officer. He was integral to the growth of the company, launching businesses including The Outnet, Mr Porter, the in-house clothing label Iris & Ink, and the magazine Porter.
On his retirement in 2014, Net-a-Porter founder and former chairman Natalie Massenet created a video that declared Sebba the most loved CEO in the world. Massenet, who started Net-a-Porter in 2000 and left on the eve of the company’s merger with the Yoox group in 2015, called Sebba her “greatest ally” and a “true partner”. She described him as “a man of incredible integrity, wisdom and strength. Not only has he grown our business exponentially and healthily and guided us through our sale to Richemont — he has also brought calm and confidence to the core of our group.” In 2010, when Richemont acquired a 93 percent interest in the business, the company was valued at £350 million.
After his life at Net-a-Porter, Sebba lent his advice to other entrepreneurial businesses. He became chairman of the fresh flowers supplier Flowerbx, an adviser to the board of plus-size e-commerce brand Eloquii, a board member at tech investment bank GP Bullhound, and a non-executive director at LMS Capital plc, a private equity firm. He was also a trustee of the V&A Museum and chairman of its commercial arm, V&A Enterprises, and lent his support to Hyde Housing Association, which provides financially accessible housing in the southeast of England. He is survived by his wife, Anne Sebba, three children and five grandchildren.
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