Italian spirits major Campari Group has appointed ex-William Grant chief executive Simon Hunt as its new CEO.

Hunt will take the helm in January, succeeding Matteo Fantacchiotti who stepped down after five months as Campari CEO in September.

Since Fantacchiotti's exit, Campari has been led on an interim basis by Paulo Marchesini, the company’s chief financial and operating officer, and Fabio Di Fede, its general counsel and business development officer. 

The Crodino brand owner had cited “personal reasons” for Fantacchiotti's immediate departure. 

Hunt, who has over 30 years of experience in the luxury spirits sector, will take on the role on 15 January following Campari's board of directors’ general meeting.  

In a statement, Campari said Hunt is a “proven business leader”, with “extensive experience” in international markets, specifically in the US and emerging markets.  

Campari chairman Luca Garavoglia added Hunt’s “proven and extensive industry experience and leadership in building and scaling premium and luxury brands on a global scale will be instrumental as he leads Campari Group through its next phase of growth”. 

Hunt was William Grant & Sons' CEO from 2016 to 2020.  

His career began at Diageo, after which he held senior roles at Allied Domecq and Pernod Ricard.  

Most recently, he was CEO of Catalyst Spirits, a global spirits incubator. 

Catalyst Spirits, the company behind brands such as Howler Head, was partially acquired by Campari Group in 2022, securing a minority stake and distribution rights.  

Campari said it is "unwinding" the investment as it focuses on "core priority brands" in line with efforts to reduce costs. In October, the Aperol owner set out plans to cut costs and sell “non-core brands”.

“During my more than three decades of experience within the spirits industry, I have always held Campari Group in the highest regard for its unique history, strong portfolio of iconic brands, company culture, and continuous outperformance and stellar growth story,” Hunt added. 

In the three months ending 30 September, Campari’s net sales rose 1.4% to €753.6m ($816.3m) but fell 1.4% organically, missing growth forecasts.  

Adjusted EBIT decreased by 13.3% to €139.4m.  

Over the first nine months, sales increased by 3.4% to €2.28bn, with adjusted EBIT dropping 4.1% to €499.4m.