La Sportiva brings in outside management as family prepares for next phase

La Sportiva has appointed Roberto Fortunato chief executive officer and begun opening its board to outside corporate figures, reshaping how the family-owned outdoor company is governed as it pursues its next phase of international growth.

Fortunato succeeds Marcello Favagrossa, whose tenure as general manager has ended. He joins the board alongside president Lorenzo Delladio and fourth-generation family representatives Giulia and Francesco Delladio. The Delladio family retains full ownership of the company. The board change is the first time in La Sportiva’s 98-year history that it has opened the way to outside corporate figures, according to the company.

The move is intended to balance family stewardship with additional managerial and entrepreneurial experience, while preparing for a generational transition. Delladio said the company’s growth and upcoming challenges call for a governance structure that combines business vision, management expertise and continuity across generations. La Sportiva is present in more than 80 countries, he said, and is pursuing expansion backed by investment in both international markets and industrial capacity.

The leadership change follows a strong financial year. La Sportiva reported consolidated revenue of €213 million in 2025, up from €176 million in 2024, despite a slower outdoor market, geopolitical uncertainty and unfavorable currency conditions. The company has attributed its performance to expanding direct markets, closer consumer relationships and product innovation.

That growth is being matched by investment at the company’s home base in Ziano di Fiemme, in Italy’s Val di Fiemme. A programme worth more than €20 million includes an expanded headquarters, new workspaces and production areas, employee facilities and an indoor climbing gym. The project is scheduled for completion in 2027, while the company has also reported more than 10,000 hours of employee training in 2025.

The strategy reflects a two-part challenge for La Sportiva: expanding a specialist mountain-sports brand across global markets while preserving the industrial roots and family identity that distinguish it. Founded in 1928 by Narciso Delladio, the company makes footwear and apparel for activities including climbing, mountaineering, hiking, mountain running and ski mountaineering. Its main production site remains in Ziano di Fiemme.

The CEO appointment therefore signals more than a change at the top. La Sportiva is adding external management and board expertise without selling the business or relinquishing family control—a governance model intended to support scale while keeping decision-making anchored in the Delladio family and the company’s mountain-region base.