HQ Holding is an industrial holding company that controls historic companies in the Italian and foreign hair and beauty sector such as Lisap Spa, Parisienne Spa, Schulze gmbh, Diapason Cosmetics Srl.
With a consolidated group turnover of 60 million euros, of which 50% is from international markets, HQ Holding has a strong international presence with its own branches in the USA, Germany, Malaysia, Australia and more than 70 countries,
Gianfranco Castro, who has recently been announced as Group Managing Director, boasts an outstanding curriculum. He graduated from the Catholic University of Milan with marketing studies at the University of Cambridge and has gained twenty years of experience in multinational companies and leaders in the reference market, such as L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble, Perfume Holding, Bolton Group, covering various managerial roles in strategic marketing, sales and general management, enhancing his skills in strategic and organizational consultancy at Bain & Company, Arthur Andersen and BMC Partners. He has worked with the largest private equity funds and is an expert in turnaround and business management in “special situations”.
In November 2016 he joined Ponti S.p.A. covering the position of General Director of Achillea, BIO division of Ponti Spa, where he successfully completed the turnaround of the division, sold in 2023 to Illy group. He is a consultant of Invitalia Spa, a company owned by Italian the Ministry of the Treasury, and a speaker at numerous conferences and universities, including the Top Management Forum and the master’s degree in Fashion & Luxury at the Luiss Business School.
His track record of success is demonstrated by numerous awards received and interviews given to the most prestigious business newspapers including Il Sole 24 Ore, Milano Finanza, Corriere Economia, Repubblica Affari & Finanza.
