Former Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri receives honorary doctorate from UCA

The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) has awarded an honorary doctorate to Marco Bizzarri, former chief executive officer of Gucci and Bottega Veneta. He is also the co-founder of the Milan-based venture capital fund Forel. Through his family holding company, Nessifashion, he invests in fashion, luxury and design companies. He is a member of the board of directors of Illy Caffè, Visionnaire, Elisabetta Franchi and Golden Goose.

In his acceptance speech, according to a statement from Elisabetta Franchi Usa, Bizzarri expressed his gratitude for the honorary degree, stating: "It is a privilege to receive this honorary degree from the University for the Creative Arts and to speak at a place that trains the next generation of creative minds and leaders."

With a career spanning over 35 years in the fashion industry, Bizzarri has received numerous awards. These include being named International Business Leader of the Year at the British Fashion Awards three times. He was also awarded the title of Knight of the Legion of Honour in France. Since 2013, he has been featured in the Business of Fashion 500, the definitive index of the people shaping the global fashion landscape.

During his tenure at Gucci, Bizzarri repositioned the brand at the top of the luxury market, tripling its turnover and doubling its workforce in seven years. Addressing the 2025 graduates, Bizzarri said: "I truly hope you find people who believe in you. No one is born a CEO or creative director. There is someone at some point who decides to appoint you to that role. They throw you the ball and you start running. For me, that person was Robert Polet, who was CEO of Gucci Group when he appointed me CEO of Stella McCartney in 2005. He was a person who believed in me more than I believed in myself. Looking back, the thing you will appreciate most will be the people who have been with you along your journey."

Bizzarri joins Jonathan Anderson, who was awarded an honorary degree from UCA last year, and Remo Ruffini, chairman and chief executive officer of Moncler, who was honoured in 2023.

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