Kering names former Estée Lauder veteran as CEO of Kering Beauté

French luxury group Kering has appointed Raffaella Cornaggia as CEO of Kering Beauté as it prepares to push into the beauty segment. 

Cornaggia joins Kering Beauté from Estée Lauder Companies, where she had worked for 14 years in a variety of senior positions. Most recently, Cornaggia served as SVP & General Manager International Business for Estée Lauder and Aerin. Prior to this, she worked at L'Oreal and Danone.

In this new role, Cornaggia will "develop an expertise in the beauty category" for Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Pomellato and Qeelin. Reporting to the group's Managing Director Jean-François Palus, she will be supported by a team of "seasoned professionals".

Kering said the creation of Kering Beauté will support the brands in the development of the beauty category, which comes as "a natural extension of their universe".

The group added that it believes it can create value for both itself and the houses, creating an identity that remains consistent with their strategies and positioning.

Jean-François Palus, Managing Director of Kering, said: “I am delighted to welcome Raffaella Cornaggia, who brings us considerable experience in a segment that we see as strategically important for our Houses. We are building this new area of expertise within our group to ensure that our brands can fulfill their potential in this category.”