Burberry names ex-Prada CFO a non-exec director

Burberry said Thursday that Alessandra Cozzani has been appointed to the board as a non-executive director and member of the Audit and Nomination committees. She starts on 1 September. 

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Currently an executive director of Italian grocer Esselunga SpA, her big luxury fashion connection comes with her having previously been group CFO of Prada SpA. She’d joined Prada originally in 2000, stepping up to the board in late 2013 and being CFO from early 2016 until last September.

She began her career as an auditor at Coopers & Lybrand.

Burberry’s chair Gerry Murphy said she’s “a highly experienced chief financial officer with deep luxury expertise. We are delighted that she has accepted our invitation to join the Burberry board.”

Last week, Burberry released its Q1 results and said that a bounce-back in China sent overall comparable sales up as much as 18%. Group sales excluding Mainland China were up 11%, with EMEIA 17% higher. 

Asia is clearly key for the firm at present. South Asia Pacific sales were up 39%, Japan rose an even better 44% and China jumped 46%. 

But the US market was weaker with an 8% drop, although spending by American tourists abroad was healthier.