Laura Burdese accepted two changes when she was promoted in September at Bulgari: the title of deputy chief executive, a new position at the 140-year-old jewelry house, and a new focus, ensuring that customers have a consistent, upscale experience with the brand.
Her background seems to have prepared her for both changes. She began her career in the beauty industry, at Beiersdorf and L’Oréal; then moved to the Swatch Group, where by 2012 she was general manager of its Italian subsidiary as well as president and chief executive of Calvin Klein Watches + Jewelry, a now-defunct licensing deal between the two brands.
In 2016, she joined LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton as president and chief executive of its fragrance brand Acqua di Parma. And in January 2022, she moved to Bulgari to supervise its marketing and communications.
Ms. Burdese’s appointment to the new deputy role has produced speculation about succession planning at Bulgari, which is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and has its headquarters in Rome.
“Burdese seems to be in pole position to succeed Babin,” Luca Solca, a luxury analyst at Bernstein, wrote in an email. He was referring to Jean-Christophe Babin, 65, who has been the house’s chief executive since 2013 and, according to Morgan Stanley’s estimates, has more than doubled the brand’s revenues to 3.5 billion euros during that time.
In a recent video interview during a business visit to Milan, Ms. Burdese, 53, talked about house codes, sustainability and the Serpenti-style bracelet she bought long before she came to the brand.
The interview has been edited and condensed.
What does your new role at Bulgari involve?
Previously, as global vice president and chief marketing officer of Bulgari, I was focused on marketing, but now I oversee business units across jewelry, watches, accessories and fragrances. Essentially, I’m tasked with accelerating what we call the “one-brand elevation journey.” This means ensuring that a cohesive strategy is seamlessly executed from the conceptual phase down to the store level, so that for the customer, Bulgari offers a distinctive aesthetic and a unified experience. It’s crucial because, for our clients, Bulgari is one brand, and this new role helps ensure that all our product categories reflect a consistent brand identity.
Can you give us an example?
Working at Bulgari means no two days are the same. I was recently in Switzerland, where we have our watches and fragrances business units. There, I worked on the reopening of one of our watch manufacturing sites in Neuchâtel, which has undergone expansion over the last year and a half to meet increasing demand. This visit involved meeting with teams and preparing for the inauguration. While I was there, I also met with the fragrances team. It’s about switching from one universe to another — jewelry to watches, fragrances to accessories and having a global overview.
Bulgari recently celebrated its 140th anniversary. How does the brand maintain its appeal?
It’s all about finding the magic balance between respecting our rich history and continuously evolving. We draw from our archive filled with history, while making sure to stay in tune with the present. Our codes — Rome’s magnificence, high jewelry and our mastery of color — remain central to everything we do, but we reinterpret them in ways that resonate with modern audiences. Take our Bulgari Tubogas collection, for instance. We recently relaunched it with a modern twist, using a platform called Bulgari Studio to collaborate with contemporary creators in fields like music and dance. This allows us to stay culturally relevant and engage new generations while staying true to our heritage.
Was that similar to Serpenti Factory?
Exactly. For the 75th anniversary of our Serpenti motif, we launched the Serpenti Factory, an exhibition that traveled globally and showcased heritage pieces alongside contemporary reinterpretations of the Serpenti motif by local artists. Each exhibition was adapted to the hosting country and generated enthusiasm, proving that the Serpenti symbol transcends cultures and is still appealing. Next year will be the Year of the Snake in China, and we are planning to explore the Serpenti’s symbolic meaning even further.
What about Gen Z?
While Gen Z is becoming more prominent, Bulgari’s approach has never been about chasing trends or targeting consumers. We remain true to ourselves, and our values — craftsmanship, sustainability and giving back — already align with what younger generations care about. We’ve always believed in making timeless products that have meaning, which extends to how we operate sustainably. We minimize our environmental impact and, for example, our newly expanded manufacturing site is fitted with solar panels and geothermal energy. We also have a longstanding partnership with Save the Children that has raised over $115 million to help children worldwide.
You’ve had experience in beauty and now in watches and jewelry. Do the industries have similarities?
Whether it’s a niche fragrance or a high-end watch, it’s not just about the product — it’s about the experience, the values and the emotion a brand can convey. Elevation is about craftsmanship, creativity and culture, not price. For instance, when I worked on projects like Acqua di Parma, we were elevating a beauty product, but the approach was similar to what we do now at Bulgari. It’s about creating something timeless and meaningful.
A creative director’s role was established for the accessory and leather goods division this year, and Mary Katrantzou was appointed to the job. What was the motivation?
Our collaboration with Mary began in 2019 when we showed our high jewelry creations at her show in the Temple of Poseidon in Greece. Since then, we’ve found ourselves aligned in terms of values and aesthetics. Mary is of Greek origins like our founder Sotirio Bulgari; Bulgari’s Greek and Roman influences align with Mary’s designs and both brands express joie de vivre. In 2021, we collaborated on a line of accessories inspired by Serpenti, and her new collection perfectly matches Bulgari’s DNA and Mary’s audacious vision.
Bulgari introduced two high-perfumery projects. Could you share more about them?
These two very exclusive high-perfumery creations were much more than just fragrances. The perfume bottles were pieces of art made of Murano glass with golden details inspired by our Serpenti motif.
These unique creations merge fragrance and jewelry and offer our clients a multisensorial experience. Both pieces sold quickly for over 200,000 euros ($215,105), confirming a strong appetite for this type of project.
Is there a Bulgari piece you’ve always wanted?
I’ve always liked Serpenti, and even before joining Bulgari, I bought a Viper bracelet for myself. Serpenti is a symbol of empowerment that resonates with me.
The post Bulgari Puts the Focus on Customer Experience appeared first on New York Times.
