Kering Eyewear, and its CEO Roberto Vedovotto, have achieved one of the ultimate business accolades, the company has become a Harvard Business School case study.

The academic analysis coincides with the 10th anniversary of Kering Eyewear, a pathbreaking project where French luxury giant Kering amalgamated all its eyewear activities into one division. Prior to that, like most runway fashion design labels, Kering’s five main fashion houses had licenses with various Italian manufacturers.
 
“Kering Eyewear is proud to announce that it has become a case study at Harvard,” the division trumpeted in a release.

As part of the study, Harvard Business School Faculty representatives teamed up to write about the exceptional story of Kering Eyewear, giving students at Harvard and around the world the opportunity to get to know the company and deep dive into the milestones it has achieved over its first ten years, Kering Eyewear added.
 
The professorial investigation is a striking compliment to Kering Eyewear’s only CEO Roberto Vedovotto, who helped convince Kering to create the division and has managed it from day one.
 
“Becoming a Harvard case study and being acknowledged by one of the most prestigious and recognized educational institutions in the world is a unique privilege for all of us at Kering Eyewear, representing an additional opportunity to celebrate our 10th anniversary in a very special way, as well as a further endorsement of our team’s commitment that is driving the success of our company,” said Vedovotto.

Under his direction, Kering Eyewear now handles a total of 14 brands. Led by the big five Kering fashion houses – Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen. While also overseeing several key labels within its sometime rival luxury group Richemont – Cartier, Chloé, Montblanc, Dunhill and Alaïa. Plus, a further four marques – Puma, Lindberg, Maui Jim, and Zeal Optics.
 
A graduate of Milan business school Bocconi, Vedovotto trained as an investment banker in London and Milan with Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers and Nomura. He later joined Italian eyewear specialist Safilo, piloting its entrance onto the Stock Market. Before taking up his current position in 2014.
 
The case study by the famed American university, resulting from a series of analyses and interviews, offers insights about Kering Eyewear’s innovative business model and its role as a game changer in the eyewear industry.