Coty Inc. announced the appointment of Renato Semerari as president of the company’s beauty division. Semerari will manage all Coty brands available in mass distribution in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Among his key responsibilities, Semerari will seek new business ventures and collaborations, as well as oversee the continued development and expansion of the Coty Beauty portfolio. He will also serve as a member of Coty’s executive committee.
“Renato’s broad and diverse experience will be an incredible asset in moving Coty Inc., and Coty Beauty toward the next stage of our success,” said Bernd Beetz, CEO, Coty Inc. “He is an accomplished leader with a real passion for our industry and a phenomenal addition to the Coty family.”
Semerari started his career in 1986 with Procter & Gamble, where he held a series of positions of increasing responsibility. While at P&G, he worked across all categories of the marketing department for personal care, oral care, skin care, paper and detergents—in both Italy and the United Kingdom. He has also held positions at LVMH as international marketing director of Parfums Christian Dior, and president and CEO of Guerlain.
Before his appointment at Coty, Semerari served as the president and CEO of Sephora Europe since October 2007. In this role, he fueled his knowledge of retail, being held responsible for 12 subsidiaries and an extensive store network. During his tenure, Sephora grew rapidly in pre-existing markets while geographically expanding into new countries.
Semerari will take leadership of Coty Beauty in early May. He replaces Hans Joachim Honigfort, who will retire in the fall after seven years with Coty. Semerari holds a degree in business administration from the University of Rome.