Biography of Leonardo Del Vecchio

Excellence has the long view

May 22, 1935
Leonardo Del Vecchio was born in Milan on day 22 May 1935. Italian businessman, knighted in the Republic, he is best known for having founded and led to international levels the made in Italy label Luxottica, famous all over the world and number one in the market for sunglasses. The sources from which the future Chairman of Luxottica are southerners. His family is of Trani, city of Apulia. When she finds herself very small, in Milan, was immediately orphan, spends the years of childhood to the College of his birth. Teens are no better than the initial ones. The young Leonardo must make do in a factory producing molds for automotive spare parts, as an apprentice. Here, however, begins to take an interest in his great love, that of eyewear frames, because the same company produces and works even crafted the eyeglass frames.
Dani realizes the potential of the sector and result in Milan the diploma of engraver. To work on his glasses while also having to engraver of medals and decorations and just twenty years later, in 1955, confirming its resourcefulness, becomes Technical Director of a company that does exactly this. Three years later makes the decisive step. The young and ambitious Leonardo moves to the province of Belluno, in the small town of Agordo. Is the 1958 when, right there, open a shop that focuses exclusively on eyeglass frames. Beginnings are hard, but within a few years, in 1961 the same workshop becomes Luxottica, which for the first time facing the market, dealing in detail of "small metal parts for electro domestics". At first the employees with whom has to do are just fourteen.
The company is located in that area later became known as the District of excellence in optics, Luxottica has its Cathedral. But it was the young milanese engraver to have started it all, in a historic moment for the country. Over these years ' 60, at least at the beginning, Luxottica produces with its activity in detail "chunks," that is, frames and accessories for frames, on behalf of third parties. The Metalflex of Venas, for example, is one of the companies in those years you need of labour and of the technique of small business. The turning point is the 1967, when Luxottica, while pursuing an important branch of production at the service of bigger companies, dives into the domestic market with its own brand. The company of Agordo fulfills a real strategic turning point and begins to deal with the eyewear production in all its forms, producing specimens born in factory and offered on the market under the brand name of the company. These are important years in which the young entrepreneur originally from Trani notes with interest that their frames are appreciated and can be a decisive leap. During this period she took part in the first "Mido", the international exhibition of Milan.
The young Luxottica brings a breath of fresh air and is known on the market. After only four years of marketing its own brand in 1971, Luxottica threw himself headlong into the creation and marketing of finished eyewear, investing all about brand and moving away from other companies, that served with a retail production. It is the beginning of a successful adventure that will last for decades. In the years ' 80 Leonardo Del Vecchio brings your company towards foreign markets starting an internationalization strategy which, within a few years, it makes space in Europe and especially in the Usa. On 2 June 1986 the President of the Italian Republic Francesco Cossiga, confirming the size of the mark and of the work undertaken by its founder Leonardo Del Vecchio, the honour of Cavaliere del lavoro.
The next decade is to acquisitions. Luxottica incorporates Ray-Ban, the most beloved brand of sunglasses, a real status symbol for young people for over 20 years. The brand of impact, taking under himself in 1999, in a moment of deep crisis, Del Vecchio supports the largest distributor of retail optical stores, LensCrafters, also acquired by Luxottica. Meanwhile many personal awards. In 1995 received an honorary doctorate in business administration from the University Ca ' Foscari of Venice. Four years later, in 1999, he was awarded the Master's degree in international economics from the MIB, the School of Management of Trieste. In 2002 and in 2006, receives two more honorary degrees, respectively by the University of Udine, in industrial engineering, and materials engineering from the Politecnico di Milano. The brand, listed on the New York Stock Exchange as early as 1990 and that of Milan since 2000, always rises higher gaining even Sunglass Hut, poured in luxury sunglasses; then the chain OPSM, famous with its stores in Australia, and the other two chains connected to Cole and Oakley. In 2007, Agordo, the place has become the capital of the optics not only nationally and especially thanks to the milanese businessman, gives the old honorary citizenship for his important work, which has brought many opportunities and shine in the area of Belluno.
Leonardo Del Vecchio was also a member of the Board of Directors of Generali Assicurazioni (until February 2011). In 2010 Luxottica Group employees are about 60,000, with 6 plants in Italy and 2 in China. The brand is present in virtually all over the world, appearing in more than 130 countries optics. According to statistics of Forbes magazine, in 2011, of the old would be the second richest man in Italy, before Silvio Berlusconi and after Michele Ferrero, 71st in the world. His net worth estimated at around 11 billion dollars.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.