Renzo ROSSO

President and Founder, Diesel SpA

Renzo Rosso, President and Founder of Diesel, is the leader of an international concern with a consolidated annual turnover of over a 600 million Euro, 85% of which is generated outside Italy. The Diesel brand, established in 1978, is synonymous of creativity, innovaton, anticonformism all arond the world, both in clothing as well as in marketing strategies. Nowadays the brand portfolio is made up of Diesel, Diesel Kids, DieselStyleLab e 55DSL, but also NewYorkIndustrie (controlled by Staff International, a pret-à-porter company acquired in 2000, and licensee of DSquared and Vivienne Westwood). In July 2002, enzo Rosso has entered the Maison Martin Margiela, (the brand of the enigmatic Belgian designer) as the majority shareholder. Today Diesel is present in over 80 countries, managing 15 subsidiaries from the Head Quarters based in Molvena (north-east of Italy). Among the 180 single-brand stores located all over the world, 95 of them are company owned. Furthermore, there are about 6000 multi-brand points of sale. Born in Padua in 1955, Renzo Rosso entered the apparel business in the mid Seventies. He started in the company that later became Diesel. He is father of 6 sons and daughters and he lives in Bassano del Grappa, Vicenza.