ANNIVERSARY GALA - National Italian American Foundation

Santo Versace
NIAF Special Achievement Award in Philanthropy
Santo Versace is the president of Gianni Versace S.p.A., based
in Milan, Italy.
He was born on December 16, 1944, in Reggio Calabria to Antonio
Versace, a wholesaler, and Francesca Olandese, a dress maker and
shop owner. By age six, Mr. Versace joined his father and continued to
work after school and summers with him until he attended university.
When not in school, he helped attend to his younger brother, Gianni,
and younger sister, Donatella.
In 1968, Mr. Versace graduated from Messina University with a
degree in economics and began working, first as banker in Reggio
Calabria for Credito Italiano, and then as high school teacher of
economic geography. In 1972, he completed his military service as
an officer in the Genova Cavalleria. Upon completion of his service,
he opened his own accounting office in both Reggio Calabria and
Milan. In 1976, he joined his brother Gianni in Milan to support
him in his rising career.
In 1977, Mr. Versace, along with his brother Gianni, founded the
Gianni Versace trademark. He played a leading role in establishing
the exclusivity and profitability of the Versace brand by focusing
on four core principles: communication, organization, productivity
and quality.
Overseeing all areas of the business including sale, distribution,
production and finance, Mr. Versace quickly became one of the
industry’s leading and most well respected business men. With
his sister, Donatella, the team built the Versace empire into a
worldwide luxury company generating over one billion dollars per
year in retail sales.
Meanwhile, in 1998, he was appointed president of the Italian
Fashion Chamber where served until the end of 1999. In 1992 he
was appointed President of Altagamma and today he is once again
president. He has been president of Polimoda SRL since May 2006.
He has been president of the non-profit Fondazione Operation Smile
Italia Onlus since January 2007. And he has been an elected member
of the Chamber of Deputies in Italian Parliament since April 2008.
Today, together with Donatella, Mr. Versace continues to lead the
house of Versace into the future.
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The 2011 NIAF Gala