Liu Jo’s Leadership Shift: Marco Marchi Steps Down, External Talent Takes the Helm

Liu Jo completes its transition from family to corporate model with the appointment of Maurizio Croceri as the first CEO from outside the founding family. Croceri will take the reins of the Exelite holding company, owner of the Italian fashion company.

Marco Marchi, founder and until now CEO of Liu Jo, has stepped down from his position, which will be taken over by Croceri, who has been with the company for more than ten years. He will take over the management of Exelite (formerly Eccellenze Italiane), the parent company of the Liu Jo, Blumarine, Elli and Digital Boite brands.

The changeover is part of the group’s new phase of international expansion, with a focus on South America and the Middle East, as well as the possibility of new acquisitions, according to La Repubblica. Exelite’s current objective is to strengthen its presence in markets where it can grow at double-digit rates.

Over the past decade, Croceri has worked alongside Marchi in overseeing the relaunch of the group’s footwear business, whose sales have risen from €10 million to €70 million.

Liu Jo ended the 2024 financial year with revenues of €489 million 

Liu Jo, headquartered in the Italian town of Carpi, ended fiscal 2024 with revenue of €489 million, slightly down from 2022, when it reached €490 million. The company operates a network of 283 mono-brand stores.

In recent statements, Marchi acknowledged that “2025 is still a demanding year; there has been a decrease in margins, but we still consider ourselves leaders.“

In 2019, the entrepreneur expanded its perimeter with the purchase of Italy’s Blufin (owner of Blumarine and Be Blumarine) and created the holding Eccellenze Italiane Holding (EIH), later renamed Exelite, which also integrates the digital brand Digital Boite.