Carmelo Pistone was born in Vercelli in 1960 and in the same year, he moved to Siena, where he spent his childhood and graduated from the local college of the Sacred Heart. He continued in his studies, graduating in Economics and Banking Sciences while spending three years in Banca Toscana. Here he understood that the bank was not for him and decided to follow his passion: fashion.
He joined Ermenegildo Zegna where he takes his first steps in the sector. He defines it as his most significant experience or the one that has formed him. After three years in Zegna, he was appointed to head of marketing in Coin Department Stores and then he moved to Krizia, first as Licensing Director and consequently assuming the role of General Manager at the age of thirty. The rise leads him to Gucci where he worked first as Director of Retail Italy and Europe to then move on to the Strategic Planning Department.
He was hired by Loro Piana to start their retail division. After a couple of years, the Woolmark Company appointed him Managing Director Europe, with the mission of creating an innovative Hub in Italy and getting Merino Wool sales off the ground in Old World.
Hence the transition to Trussardi company as Retail and Commercial Director to then begin a pre-entrepreneurial path in which he also gains experience as General Manager of the Emmelunga furniture chain for about two years.
In 2006, he makes the big leap as an entrepreneur, to acquire the company Sutor Mantellassi. Over the next years, he continues to acquire Lorenzo Banfi, Lario and Tanino Crisci and creates a pole of excellence footwear manufacturer which he sold to the Korean Conglomerate E-Land in 2012. He remains as CEO until 2013 and then focuses since 2014 on the JW Brine brand which he repositions and sells in 2018. Following the sale, he decides to devote himself to management consulting.