MILAN — Egnazia Ospitalità Italiana, which recently took over Milan’s historic Diana Majestic hotel property, has tapped luxury veteran Riccardo Vannetti as its chief brand and marketing officer.
Egnazia Ospitalità Italiana was founded by entrepreneur Aldo Melpignano and is based in the Apulia region, where it has been dedicated to the enhancement of the territory and the protection of the national heritage since 2010.
It is best known for its Borgo Egnazia property, which is inspired by the typical local villages of the Italian region.
In his new role, Vannetti will oversee brand strategy, marketing, communication and positioning across the Egnazia portfolio, supporting each property’s identity while ensuring coherence at group level, starting from Borgo Egnazia and the group’s expanding hospitality platform. In an interview with WWD, he said he was drawn to Egnazia’s unique business model.
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“At Egnazia Ospitalità Italiana I recognized a vision of enterprise that starts with the territories and the people who inhabit them. Here, hospitality — understood as an act of care before it is a business — is never separated from the human dimension: it grows out of relationships, from the daily work of those who welcome, and from the ability to create meaningful connections with places and with guests,” Vannetti told WWD.
The group most recently took over Milan’s Sheraton Diana Majestic, following its closure in 2024. The Diana Majestic has long been a hot spot for the fashion set and is located on the upscale Viale Piave. It was founded in 1842 as the Bagni di Diana (the Diana baths) and was converted from a bathing establishment into a hotel in 1908. The Egnazia group said the Diana Majestic’s reopening is scheduled for 2027, marking the beginning of a new chapter for one of Milan’s most iconic addresses.
The group said that it hired Vannetti as part of a plan to strengthen its leadership team at a key stage of its development.
“Alongside this journey, we are starting to shape a new branding project, which Riccardo will help us imagine and develop over time, while maintaining a focus on preserving the identity of each individual entity and ensuring consistency across the overall vision,” said Melpignano.
From 2018 to 2021, Vannetti was Florence-based Salvatore Ferragamo Group‘s chief marketing officer. Prior to that, the executive had been director of Pitti Immagine’s Tutorship consultancy service for fashion designers since January 2016.
Since his departure from Salvatore Ferragamo, the Tuscan native has been working as an international brand strategist across luxury, fashion, hospitality and lifestyle. Most recently, he served as chief brand & digital transformation officer at Five Star Development in the U.S.
