Completing a leadership reshuffle, Italian spirits producer Campari is welcoming Francesco Mele as its new CFO.
Mele takes over the role from Paolo Marchesini, who will transition to vice chairman of the company. Marchesini, who joined Campari nearly three decades ago, has also been named to a three-year term on the board of directors.
Mele, 56, is set to work closely with Simon Hunt, the newly minted CEO and an industry veteran who joined the Campari mix in January. Mele will oversee the finance, IT, and global business services functions while Hunt will directly manage the global supply chain.
The new CFO, formerly CIO at Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), the Italian economic development bank, brings a wealth of industry expertise to Campari just as the sixthlargest player in the global spirits market reaches a critical juncture. US tariffs are squeezing margins, and China’s antidumping duties on European brandy imports threaten profitability. As if these pressures were not enough, global demand for alcoholic beverages is tepid.
Marchesini’s tenure was marked by 40 business acquisitions. Mele, however, is expected to take a different tack.
Hunt’s program emphasizes cost management, pricing rigor, and streamlining the brand portfolio. Home to 50 distinct brands, Campari is reorganized into four core divisions: House of Cognac, House of Aperitifs, House of Whiskeys, and House of Agave. The objective is to pare down nonessential labels and concentrate resources on the company’s flagship products—Aperol, Campari, Grand Marnier, Courvoisier, Wild Turkey, Appleton Estate, and Espolon Tequila—ensuring that they shine in 190 markets.
