Ferrari appoints luxury goods exec Carla Liuni as chief brand officer

Ferrari has named Carla Liuni, an executive with experience in jewelry, luxury goods and at consumer goods corporation Proctor & Gamble, as chief brand officer.

Liuni, 55, starts in her new post in September and will report to CEO Benedetto Vigna. She will be based in Milan.

Vigna said Liuni’s experience in building global luxury brands would be an asset for Ferrari, which is preparing for the transition to electrification and will soon release its first SUV, the Purosangue.

Since coming to Ferrari from STMicroelectonics in September 2021, Vigna has overseen multiple changes in the company’s management structure. He will unveil Ferrari’s strategy for the coming years in an event in Maranello, Italy, on Thursday.

“It is increasingly critical to be able to build and maintain a relevant brand identity that resonates with our community and is reflective of the world in which we live,” Vigna said in a news release. “Carla has the experience, the leadership and skill set to protect and nurture our brand as it grows.”

Liuni's appointment underlines the importance Ferrari places on exploiting its brand as the automaker pushes ahead with its strategy launched a year ago to diversify beyond cars.

Ferrari has previously said it hoped its so-called brand extension move would account for 10 percent of profits within a decade.

The automaker last year launched a wide brand diversification strategy, which includes a regular fashion collection for both men and women.

Liuni was most recently chief marketing officer at Pandora, a jewelry company.

Before taking that post in 2019, she led global marketing and communication at the luxury group Bulgari starting in 2015. Prior to joining Bulgari, Liuni spent almost 20 years at the consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, where among other roles she was general manager for the Prestige division.

Reuters contributed to this report