Beatrice, Head of Strategic Marketing & Digital Transformation at Kering Eyewear

The positive thinker

Born and raised in Milan, Beatrice developed a passion for fashion early on, influenced by the city’s culture and by watching her mother build a career as a journalist in fashion magazines. Led by a strong sense of curiosity, she spent her teenage and university years in Ireland, Canada, Spain, and Brazil, picking up foreign languages along the way.  

After completing her Master’s degree at Bocconi University in Milan, she began her career at Accenture, working in the fashion consumer strategy team. The rapid growth of the fashion and luxury industry led her to apply for a role at Bain & Company, where she spent five years in the Fashion and Luxury Practice. “It was a very happy period of my life, and my consultancy background became one of my greatest professional assets.”

In 2016, one of her colleagues at Bain left to work at Kering Eyewear, a new venture by Kering. Beatrice made the move shortly after. “There was a real start-up mentality with so much excitement, but it was still within a luxury group. It was an incredible opportunity to start things from scratch and have a real impact on the project.”

Beatrice has now been at Kering Eyewear for nine years, but she jokes, “It feels like 30! In a good way, of course! There are always new projects to work on and challenges to face. We have done so many things and grown so much. At the beginning I could tell you the name of every employee, but now it’s no longer possible!”

In 2024, Kering Eyewear sales reached a record, approximately €1.6 Billion, just 10 years after it was founded. “Our people have very strong ambitions. There is a lot of strength and passion, as well as a “never give up” attitude, which is our CEO Roberto Vedovotto’s motto. He's the one who continues motivating us. It wasn’t easy at the beginning, because we were literally building a company from zero. But we made it!”

Beatrice looks back fondly on her different projects throughout the years. First, the addition to the brand portfolio of Cartier Eyewear: “Cartier Eyewear was a fascinating challenge. Thanks to my consultancy background, I was able to work successfully through every phase of the project, collaborating with my counterpart at Cartier, providing the level of excellence that the brand naturally required.”

After that project was finalized, Beatrice became Head of Strategic Marketing, overseeing the transition of brands like Balenciaga, Chloé, and Montblanc into the Kering Eyewear portfolio. She was also tasked with growing the optical category setting up a team with dedicated resources. “This project was my favorite, because it represented an important evolution in our strategy. We have demonstrated our ability within optical frames – in addition to sunglasses – growing our market share also in that category.”  

Her day always starts with focusing on her team. “My expertise has always been project management. What are the steps? How should you approach it? Who should you talk to? Who should be informed? I divide all the projects within the team, and I let them get on with it. I’m happy because they are quite independent, and I’m trying to make sure they are able to grow and learn every day.”

Today, Beatrice has added Digital Transformation to her responsibilities, coordinating and facilitating digital projects at Kering Eyewear. This includes business development for the e-commerce channel of Maui Jim, the most recent brand to join the Kering Eyewear portfolio. “As you can see, you can never get bored! There is always something new and exciting on the horizon. It has been an intense 9 years, and I am looking forward to the next 9!”

Beatrice in 6 questions

Best thing about your job? My team – they keep me on my toes and I on theirs!

Personal motto? Never give up; there is always a positive side to things.

Fun fact? When I have to work late, I take a break, put on some samba music and dance like crazy for five minutes. And then I go back to work!

Current mindset? I’m positive.

Talent you wish you had? I would love to be able to speak every language!  

Greatest achievement? My kids.