It’s nice to be missed, so Marco Gobbetti must have been heartened by the reaction to the news that he would leave his role as chief executive of Burberry to take the reins at Salvatore Ferragamo, a smaller luxury fashion brand. Burberry shares fell by as much as 10 per cent on Monday, wiping £1 billion off the company’s market cap.
Analysts identified the risks of Gobbetti’s departure, planned for the end of this year: first, that Riccardo Tisci, the creative director, may leave too; and, second, that Gobbetti’s turnaround plan hasn’t been completed and a new leader may initiate another change of direction.
The boss’s departure also may revive takeover speculation. That could lift the shares, but may distract executives from the day-to-day running
