Gucci taps Unilever exec

Ending months of speculation, a successor has been named for Domenico De Sole, Gucci Group’s chief executive and president and the financial whiz who helped designer Tom Ford build the company into a $3-billion powerhouse over the last 13 years.

Robert Polet, a 48-year-old Dutch national, will join the firm after 26 years at Unilever, most recently as president of the worldwide ice cream and frozen foods division, a $7.8-billion business consisting of 40 operating companies, where profits increased 70% under his leadership, according to Gucci’s press release.

Ford and De Sole will step down at the end of this month.