Editor’s Note
We remember Francesco Trapani, the longtime CEO who transformed Bulgari into a global luxury powerhouse. Our condolences to his family and colleagues.
Francesco Trapani passed away yesterday evening at his home in Rome.
The 68-year-old entrepreneur and manager, a descendant of the Bulgari family, served as CEO of the luxury house founded in 1884 for thirty years. Under his leadership, it grew into one of the world’s largest players in the luxury segment, with a presence in jewelry, watches, fragrances, leather goods, and the prestigious hospitality industry.
Trapani is survived by four children. His funeral will be held on Saturday, September 13th, at twelve o’clock in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome.
Francesco Trapani was born in Rome in 1957. He was the son of the renowned surgeon Agostino Trapani and Lia Bulgari, the eldest sister of Gianni, Paolo, and Nicola. They were the sons of Giorgio Bulgari and thus grandsons of Sotirio Bulgari, a goldsmith of Greek origin and founder of the famous jewelry house Bvlgari.
After graduating in Business Administration from the University of Naples, Francesco Trapani attended business administration courses at New York University.
He joined the family business in 1981, working with his maternal uncles as an assistant to the financial director. Three years later, in 1984, he became managing director at the age of just 27.
Under his leadership, the company experienced three decades of consistent growth. This was the result of a long-term success strategy based on a highly professional organizational structure, product diversification (watches, perfumes, accessories), expansion of distribution, and strong investments in communication to strengthen the brand image.
To accelerate international expansion, Francesco Trapani successfully led Bvlgari’s initial public offering on the Italian stock exchange in 1995. The Bulgari family remained the majority shareholder. Concurrently, further activities were undertaken to increase the brand’s global recognition, such as the establishment of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, a joint venture with Marriott International / Ritz-Carlton.
Thanks to these initiatives, the company, which in 1984 was a jewelry business with a turnover of around 25 million euros, five stores, and 80 employees, evolved into the Bvlgari Group. It is now one of the most important global players in the luxury market, with a product portfolio ranging from jewelry to watches, accessories, perfumes, and hotels, and a turnover of approximately 1.5 billion euros, 4,000 employees, and 300 stores worldwide.
Under his leadership, the brand began diversifying and accelerated the internationalization of its activities. In July 1995, Francesco Trapani listed Bvlgari shares on the Italian stock exchange, where they remained until 2011.
Also under Trapani’s leadership, Bvlgari merged with the LVMH group in 2011: at the time of the transaction, the company was valued at 4.3 billion euros. Francesco Trapani remained President and CEO of LVMH’s Watches and Jewelry division for the following three years to successfully complete the integration of Bvlgari into the LVMH group. Subsequently, he served as a senior advisor to Bernard Arnault and a member of the LVMH board of directors until 2016.
After completing the integration of Bvlgari into the French conglomerate, Trapani found new professional challenges. He took on significant roles at Clessidra, Bluebell Capital Partners, Tiffany, Tages Group, and Vam Investments.