Yoox Net-a-porter Group Names New Global Operations Director
MILAN — The Yoox Net-a-porter Group has tapped Mirko Nobili as its new global operations director. Nobili succeeds William Duffy, who retired earlier this year after nine years.
Nobili was most recently vice president of global customer fulfillment at Burberry and, prior to that, held senior operations roles at Nestlé Italiana and Lactalis Group.
“For two decades, delivering exceptional customer service has been at the heart of the Yoox Net-a-porter approach,” said Federico Marchetti, chairman and chief executive officer of YNAP. “It remains as important as ever today to our group and a major differentiator in the luxury fashion sector — for both clients and brands. Mirko brings outstanding levels of expertise and a strong track record in delivering operational excellence at a global scale. Together with the wider executive committee, he will play an integral part in delivering our mission to connect people with the joy of luxury and fashion that lasts a lifetime and beyond.”
With this appointment the group further amplifies its global omnistock logistics model, which is implemented across 180 countries, “to drive even greater levels of customer experience and long-term strategic international growth,” said the company.
The omnistock system was a fundamental development for the group established by Marchetti, who told WWD last year that “there were three silos — in Europe, the U.S. and Asia — serving Net-a-porter and Mr Porter before the [2015 Yoox and Net-a-porter] merger, which meant that our customers in Europe could buy only from the warehouse in London, those in America only from the warehouse in America and those in Asia only from Hong Kong.”
Marchetti explained that he decided to change “not only the technological platform but also the operations setup because we want to work from an omnistock system for our customers and for our brands. This means, simply, that there will be a central warehouse and peripheral ones. This way customers all over the world will have accessibility to the products, which is the same principle of the Next Era project [which allows complete visibility on availability of the product to the final customer]. This is a huge change of paradigm for us.”
The omnistock model significantly increases stock availability and advanced delivery options for all customers. It is centralized from two hub distribution centers in Bologna and Landriano, outside Milan, and is powered by the group’s new technology platform and smart data. The model allows a single view of all inventory, and streamlines product flow between its nine global distribution centers.
Nobili will also be responsible for digital production across the group, strengthening the latest AI and robotics engineering to create the most extensive visual image library.
As per the succession plan set in motion earlier this year, the Yoox Net-a-porter Group will see the arrival of a new ceo in 2021. Geoffroy Lefebvre, currently group digital distribution director at YNAP parent Compagnie Financière Richemont, will succeed Marchetti effective Jan. 4. Marchetti will remain chairman to ensure a smooth transition.
YNAP’s active customers today total 4.3 million and the group comprises the multibrand online stores Net-a-porter and Mr Porter; the multibrand off-season players Yoox and The Outnet, as well as the online flagships for designer brands ranging from Giorgio Armani to Valentino. The group has also been selling high jewelry and luxury watches online, starting in 2016 and now stocking brands such as Piaget, Cartier, Audemars Piguet, Pomellato, IWC and Buccellati.
Richemont took control of YNAP in 2018, delisting it from the Milan Stock Exchange and valuing the company at about 6 billion euros.
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