Santa Maria Novella Names Roberto Pesenti CEO, Creates GM Role

By Daniel Okafor

Roberto Pesenti has been appointed chief executive officer of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, effective immediately, the Italian beauty company said. He succeeds Ludivine Pont, who quietly exited the role earlier this year.

The 800-year-old Florentine house also created a general manager post and filled it with Marco Barberini, effective immediately. Barberini brings luxury experience from Bain & Company, Yoox Net-a-porter Group and the Ermenegildo Zegna Group. He will work alongside Pesenti to spearhead expansion, manage operations and, in the company's words, enrich its 800-year heritage.

The double appointment lands at a turning point for the brand.

Who is Roberto Pesenti?

Born in 1994, Pesenti holds a degree in mechanical engineering and business finance from University College London and a master of science in materials engineering from Stanford University. He began his career in New York with a two-year stint at private equity firm Eurazeo, focusing on investments in American mid-market companies.

He joined Italmobiliare's development and investment department in 2019, working on sourcing, due diligence and investments in Italian companies and international investment funds. He has sat on Italmobiliare's board of directors since 2023 and has headed its strategic development department since January 2025.

Pesenti has been a member of Santa Maria Novella's board since 2024. He also serves as president of Gres Art 671, a center for contemporary art and culture in Bergamo established by Italmobiliare and Fondazione Pesenti Ets.

What does the change mean for the brand?

It tightens the link between the perfume house and Italmobiliare, the Pesenti family-owned investment group that first backed it in 2020 — its first move into the perfume and cosmetics industry. The parent's takeover accelerated the brand's international push and transformation. A new product course followed, with some items tweaked to meet current sustainability demands and the company promoting its heritage while opening up to newness.

The leadership change follows another first: the recent appointment of acclaimed design studio Formafantasma as creative director. Founded by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, the studio has been tasked to "work across products, packaging, communication, retail spaces and events, in close dialogue with the internal team and with specialists from different disciplines."

Pesenti's passion for art aligns with that mandate. The brand's art credentials extend to its Florentine flagship on Via della Scala, still the jewel in the crown of its global distribution. Its frescoed ceilings, bronzed angels and lingering aromas draw locals and tourists alike; the unit is billed as the second most-visited museum in Florence by attendance.

Flood anniversary and a 315-euro fragrance

Last month the brand opened an exhibition running through Nov. 22 featuring Francesco Botticini's "Saint Sebastian," a 15th-century panel painting from the Uffizi Galleries. Severely damaged in Florence's historic 1966 flood, the artwork will be restored with the brand's support.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the flood, Santa Maria Novella also released a limited-edition eau de parfum version of Angeli di Firenze, created 20 years ago to honor volunteers who cleared mud and saved artworks. It retails at 315 euros and launched exclusively in selected brick-and-mortar stores in Europe and the U.S.

Japan and South Korea distribution follows in the first half of 2027 — a signal that the Italmobiliare-era expansion now extends to Asia under the new leadership team.