CEO North America of Marcolin USA Eyewear Corp. Davide Rettore

Davide Rettore has eyewear in his DNA. Born in Treviso, Veneto, Italy (an eyewear-producing region), he graduated from Ca’ Foscari University in Venice with a B.A. in marketing. He began his career at the Benetton Group, covering different roles to eventually become a brand manager. In 2011, he joined Marcolin Group as group brand manager, and subsequently moved in 2014 to work as global brand director at Kering Eyewear. He was appointed CEO North America of Marcolin USA Eyewear Corp. in September 2017.

1. Please tell us about your new role at Marcolin USA.

This is my first experience in the U.S. market…so I took the first few months to learn, understand, and engage. For me, the most important drivers of success are people and culture, so one of the key milestones was to create a new philosophy called “The Next Play.” I’m a big fan of college basketball and was inspired by this idea that the coach of the Duke University Blue Devils shares with his team—to stay ahead and see opportunities when others see challenges or problems.

The Next Play, for Marcolin USA, is endless movement to strive for excellence. In sports, life, or business, you always have to prepare for the next play. We are cascading this message across the entire organization.

2. What are the key areas you’re focusing on at Marcolin USA?

I have a marketing background, so from the very beginning we’ve been focused with the team on creating a clear, compelling, and differentiating vision and redefining our portfolio strategy.

We are also driving a digital transformation, creating interactive experiences in-store plus new tools to drive business. At the beginning of 2018 we launched two new tools specifically for the North American market: a sales force automation tool, and the business-to-business platform my.marcolin.com .

For GUESS, we partnered with Amanda Cerny on a new social campaign—she’s one of the most well-known influencers worldwide, with over 20 million followers.

3. Please tell us about the recent Marcolin USA National Sales Meeting.

We had a very energizing meeting in Los Angeles in April with over 225 people from across the U.S. Marcolin Group’s global CEO, Massimo Renon, and executive vice chairman, Giovanni Zoppas, opened the event talking about the company’s global vision and continued growth.

During the three-day event, the U.S. leadership team presented our new vision to the entire sales force, announcing The Next Play concept, and hosting regional workshops and product presentations. We also had a very memorable surprise appearance by Tom Ford, who talked about his own brand and its strong bond with Marcolin Group.

4. Where is the growth being realized at Marcolin USA?

Marcolin Group is a growing company. In North America, in Q4 of 2017, we achieved high double-digit growth, and the momentum continues in 2018.

Our flagship brands Tom Ford and GUESS continue their steady growth. In addition, Swarovski, Timberland, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Moncler are our fastest-growing brands supporting the growth of the company.

5. What is Marcolin Group’s future in today’s optical landscape?

We are a global pure wholesale player; we don’t own retail and managed care, and we don’t compete with our customers. We fully support our customers’ needs and interests while developing entertaining, interactive experiences for them and their consumer.

Our mission is to be the most trusted customer- and salesforce-friendly company, aiming to be the preferred partner of each of our customers. We envision Marcolin Group to be the second player in North America by 2020—with our powerful and solid portfolio of complementary brands from value to luxury, outstanding design capabilities, innovative attitude, and best-in-class service.

—Erinn Morgan