Ludivine Pont new CEO of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

Officina-Profumo Santa Maria Novella, the historic Florentine brand of beauty and fragrances, has a new CEO: from September, it will be headed by Ludivine Pont, Swiss, a career in marketing and communication for major fashion brands such as Balenciaga, Moncler, and Philipp Plein. Pont takes over from Giovanna Paoloni, who arrived just over a year ago, also from the fashion world.

The turnaround is not related to the company's results, since Officina Profumo - which from 2020 will be headed by the Pesenti family's Italmobiliare investment company - closed 2024 with the best results in its long history: revenues grew by 24.6% to EUR 70 million, with an EBITDA of EUR 19.2 million (+22.1%). Q1 2025 also marked double-digit growth: +20.6% revenues (to €14.3 million), driven by fragrances and body products, and an operating margin that doubled (to €2.2 million).

For Carlo Pesenti, CEO of Italmobiliare and Chairman of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, Ludivine Pont is 'the right person to contribute to the growth of the Group, giving further impetus to the global development of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, always respecting the values and peculiarities that make the company a brand without equal in the world'.

The history of the brand began in 1221, when the Dominican friars who had arrived in Florence began to cultivate, in the gardens next to the square and the basilica of Santa Maria Novella, officinal herbs that were used to prepare medicines for the infirmary of the convent; in 1612 they then decided to open the pharmacy to the public.

The new CEO says she is honoured by the role and feels a profound responsibility: "This is a maison with an extraordinary heritage, more than eight centuries of botanical and pharmaceutical excellence," she says. "My intention is to carry on this heritage and create a timeless care experience that speaks to the senses, beauty and time. Alongside the CEO, General Manager Giampiero Pesenti will continue to play a central role in the operational leadership of the company, which is present in 30 countries with more than 400 shops.