What was changed
In July 2004 Leonardo Del Vecchio, Luxottica's founder and chairman, proposed Andrea Guerra — 38, previously CEO of Merloni Elettrodomestici — as the group's new chief executive. It was the first time management passed outside the Del Vecchio family.
Del Vecchio said the appointment addressed two needs: growth would require an increasingly strong and structured management team, and it would let him focus on his responsibilities as chairman while the CEO assumed control of day-to-day operations.
The decision delivered. FY2004 sales were €3,223.9 million; by 2013 the group reported record sales of €7.3 billion (about $9.7 billion), and Guerra's decade at the helm made Luxottica the world's largest eyewear maker by revenue.
What it achieved
Under Guerra, Luxottica's sales more than doubled — from €3,223.9M in FY2004 to a record €7.3B in 2013 — making it the world's largest eyewear group by revenue.
Why it worked
The founder delegated operations but kept strategic control as chairman.
Guerra brought international expansion experience from Merloni Elettrodomestici.
Professional management scaled a founder-built retail and wholesale machine.
What can be applied
A founder can grow a company faster by delegating operations: Del Vecchio kept strategy as chairman while Guerra ran the business, and both the company and the founder benefited.
Aftermath
Guerra left in September 2014 after a decade and was replaced by a management trio; Luxottica later merged with Essilor (2018), but the professional-management template survived the founder's era.
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