19. From Europe to Asia: Luxury Turnarounds, Cross-Cultural Leadership, and Making Clarity from Complexity with Francesco Pesci

Episode notes

“ Leadership is making clarity out of complexity. ” Francesco Pesci, a luxury executive with 30+ years of experience across Italy, France, Denmark, and Japan, joins Kevin Hong to unpack what it takes to lead across cultures, turn around heritage brands, and build organizations that can win internationally without forcing one leadership style everywhere. Francesco’s career spans Brioni (including its acquisition by Kering), Damiani Japan, CEO roles driving transformation and profitability, and leading Danish heritage house Georg Jensen through a digital acceleration during the pandemic. Most recently, he served as Managing Director at Lancel in Paris. Across these roles, one message stays consistent: global leadership is not about having the “right” playbook. It is about adaptation, trust, and execution.