Yahoo Finance For the First Time in More Than 700 Years, Glassmaker Barovier&Toso Hires a CEO as It Looks to Expand
MILAN — Barovier&Toso, the glassmaker appointed by the Republic of Venice in 1455 to make Venetian Crystal, said Monday that it hired the first chief executive officer in its eight-century history.
In a statement, the company said Andrea Signoroni, who has most recently served as the operations director of Dolce&Gabbana Casa since 2021 and operations director of luxury Italian furniture-maker Cassina before that, has been hired to lead the company into “new horizons.”
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“Andrea Signoroni’s entry at the helm of Barovier&Toso represents a strategic choice to strengthen the company’s position in the global market. With proven experience in corporate management and the luxury sector, Signoroni is ready to bring new perspectives and skills that will allow Barovier&Toso to face future challenges with renewed energy,” the company added in a statement, highlighting that Signoroni’s operations experience is essential for streamlining and developing the company’s production processes, “allowing Barovier&Toso to further improve the quality of its products and respond more effectively to market demands.”
In 2023, Barovier&Toso saw revenues rise 19 percent from 2022, to 19.2 million euros, facilitated by a shift in corporate strategy. At the time, its chief commercial officer Diego Martinez Dubosc told WWD that the company’s strongest markets are Europe, followed by the U.S., the Middle East and the Far East.
In 2023, the company invested in retail and opened a Venice boutique designed by Nichetto Studio.
In 2023, the company also opened its first U.S. subsidiary in Miami, which it said was key to the growth strategy. Martinez Dubosc said that in Asia, the company is directly engaging with professionals and architects to develop a network of qualified dealers for the brand. The Singapore store, which opened in 2018, was its first overseas location.
Overall, 85 percent of sales are exported to come from the European Union, the U.S., Middle East and the Far East, while the remaining 15 percent are generated locally in Italy.
“The Middle East and the Far East also present youthful and challenging markets in terms of brand dissemination and communication strategies,” Martinez Dubosc said.
Barovier&Toso, whose elaborate chandeliers have adorned the homes of royal residences such as King Al-Saud’s palace in Taif, said it’s adapting with the times and is invested in strategies that bolster its storytelling through digital channels, which have become more and more crucial to its business.
Though the company was originally founded in 1295 by Jacobello Barovier, in 1455 his descendant Angelo Barovier was granted the exclusive right to produce “Cristallo Veneziano” (Venetian Crystal), which is unlike any other on the market because it is void of lead and arsenic. The company operated independently until 1936, when it merged with the Toso glassmaking business.
Looking toward the long-term future, Barovier&Toso president Rinaldo Invernizzi said Signoroni is crucial to this next chapter in the company’s history.
“His proven experience and innovative vision will be fundamental in facing future challenges and continuing to write the successful and respectful history of our company,” Invernizzi said.
