Ermenegildo Zegna Group Inks Agreement to Sell Stake to Temasek
Zegna has inked an agreement to sell 14.1 million shares to Venezio Investments Pte. Ltd., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore-based investment company Temasek Holdings.
More from WWD
Inside the Larger-than-life Legacy of C.P. Company and Stone Island Founder Massimo Osti
Zegna to Bring Environmental Conservation Initiative to Aspen
Mitchells Hosts Top Italian CEOs for Celebratory Dinner in Milan
The price was pegged at $8.95 a share, an average of Zegna share prices over the period from June 30 to July 25, so that upon the closing, expected on Wednesday, the Italian group will receive a total of $126.4 million.
Zegna is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Temasek previously acquired 12.7 million ordinary through market purchases. After the closing of the transaction, Temasek will owm a total of 26.8 million shares, equivalent to 10 percent of Zegna.
'I am delighted to welcome Temasek as a strategic investor in our group's shareholder base,' said Gildo Zegna, chairman and chief executive officer of the group. 'Their investment is a strong endorsement of our vision and long-term growth potential, while firmly recognizing the global significance of the Italian luxury sector. With Temasek's partnership, we are even better positioned to help strengthen our organic expansion globally and to reinforce our unique role as a custodian of truly authentic brands.'
Nagi Hamiyeh, head of EMEA of Temasek, stated that the Zegna Group 'has successfully established itself in the high-end luxury segment and presents significant long-term value creation opportunities across each brand. Our investment in them underscores our ongoing commitment to support leading European businesses with strong track records and global potential.'
Hamiyeh concluded by saying that Temasek will be 'a thoughtful, long-term partner to the Zegna family and management team, empowering them to execute on their growth strategy and supporting their vision to elevate their iconic brands and global footprint.'
In a statement, Zegna said 'the enhanced financial flexibility will allow the group to carefully seize selected opportunities for accelerating the organic growth of the current brand portfolio.' It pointed to Temasek's 'wealth of experience in the luxury sector and deep knowledge of the Asian market' contributing to the Zegna group's 'growth prospects and support the expansion in key geographies' where it is still underdeveloped.
Hamiyeh is expected to join the Zegna Group's board of directors in June 2026.
Temasek has a wide range of investments in different business, among which are Amazon, Visa Inc. and Singapore Airlines. It had previously invested in Stone Island and Li & Fung.
Best of WWD
EXCLUSIVE: Sean Combs Regains Control of Sean John Brand
Isabel Marant Said in Play Again: Sources
Holding Industriale Invests in Shoe Specialist Valmor
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Whataburger debuts limited-time burger, plus a new treat. When can you get them?
Whataburger fans can soon sip — or sink their teeth into two new menu items. The Dr Pepper blackberry shake and bacon wrangler double arrive Tuesday, Aug. 5, at participating restaurants nationwide, according to the Texas-based burger chain. The limited-time offerings are the latest to land at Whataburger as the brand celebrates 75 years, marking 'its diamond anniversary' with new and returning menu favorites. In a nod to its Texas roots, the bacon wrangler double features two beef patties topped with bacon, American and Monterey Jack cheeses, crispy onions and garlic aioli on a toasted bun, Whataburger said in a news release. 'As a proud Texas-born brand, Whataburger was built on bold flavors, genuine hospitality and a spirit that feels like home,' President and CEO Debbie Stroud said in the release. 'The Bacon Wrangler Double is a delicious reminder that you can always experience a little bit of that spirit with every bite.' Customers can wash it all down with the new Dr Pepper blackberry shake, also available for a limited time. It's a fruity take on the original Dr Pepper shake, combining Whataburger's vanilla soft serve with Dr Pepper 'and a touch of blackberry flavor,' according to the restaurant's website. The burger chain offered a Dr Pepper blackberry-flavored soda at restaurants earlier this year to rave reviews. 'We paired two Texas favorites in a way that feels fresh but familiar — fun, unexpected, and full of that signature Whataburger deliciousness,' Scott Hudler, chief marketing officer for Whataburger, said at the time. Pricing information wasn't immediately available. Find your nearest Whataburger here.


Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Last chance to apply for $250 million Bally's Chicago IPO ends Monday
It's the last call for the Bally's Chicago $250 million initial public offering. Bally's Chicago will close its online portal Monday at noon, ending the opportunity for potential investors to indicate interest in the offering and perhaps own a piece of the city's first casino. All investment accounts must be funded before Tuesday at 4 p.m., with Bally's Chicago allocating shares in the IPO by Thursday, according to an email sent to potential investors. The Bally's Chicago IPO and concurrent private placement is scheduled to close on Friday, the company said. It has been a long road for the IPO, which has navigated lawsuits and regulatory delays since launching in January. It was refiled for a second time July 15 with the Securities and Exchange Commission to update the company's financials during the eight-month process. The $250 million IPO was initially an exclusive opportunity for women and minorities to buy a 25% equity stake in the casino, looking to fulfill a commitment to the city and raise money for the construction of its planned $1.7 billion entertainment complex in River West. In April, Bally's refiled and expanded the IPO to include any potential investors, with 'preferential allocations' to Chicago and Illinois residents. The elimination of the minority requirements in the IPO came as Bally's and the city faced two lawsuits in Chicago federal court alleging the investment opportunity discriminated against white men. Both lawsuits were settled, according to court filings. The IPO creates 10,000 Class A shares featuring four classes of stock ranging from $250 to $25,000, supplemented by loans from Bally's Chicago to enable 'underrepresented communities' to participate. Chicago-based Loop Capital Markets serves as the lead placement agent for the IPO. In May 2022, Rhode Island-based Bally's was selected by the city to build the Chicago casino with a proposal that includes an exhibition hall, a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, 10 restaurants and 4,000 gaming positions at the 30-acre site of the former Chicago Tribune printing plant. Bally's Chicago has been operating a temporary casino at Medinah Temple in River North since September 2023. While there have been some construction delays, including a demolition stoppage by the city in December after a debris spill in the Chicago River, and an Illinois Gaming Board-imposed work stoppage in May over the use of unauthorized waste hauler with alleged ties to organized crime, Bally's has begun erecting the steel and concrete casino complex, which remains on target for a September 2026 opening, the company said. rchannick@


CNBC
4 hours ago
- CNBC
The AI 'algorithmic audit' could be coming to hotel room checkout
Artificial intelligence can lead to surprises in all sorts of places where a bill once would have been considered settled. The use of AI by Hertz (and European car rental company Sixt) to scan for damage on cars, which is then charged to the customer, is a new application of the technology that is creeping into consumer life unnoticed. But it won't be the last unexpected adjustment to the travel experience courtesy of AI. Experts say consumers should expect to see businesses across the service industry deploying similar technology in the future, if they aren't already. "As businesses seek to automate loss prevention and operational efficiency, we're witnessing the emergence of what I call 'algorithmic auditing' – the systematic deployment of AI to identify, classify, and monetize previously overlooked inefficiencies or losses," said Shannon McKeen, professor of the practice and executive director for the Center for Analytics Impact at Wake Forest University School of Business. The Hertz program, recently reported on by the New York Times, is the beginning of what McKeen describes as a broader transformation, and new fault line, in the service economy. "The implementation of these systems reveals a fundamental tension between operational efficiency and customer satisfaction and equity," McKeen said. The question isn't simply whether AI can detect a scratch on a rental car bumper. "It's whether businesses should charge customers for every microscopic imperfection that algorithms can identify but human judgment might reasonably overlook as normal wear and tear," he said. McKeen says the dialogue between service agent and customer over costs will increasingly include a new term: "the machine says." Hotels are working their way through these changes, according to Jordan Hollander, cofounder of a research platform that helps hotels find new digital and AI products to improve efficiency. "I've been seeing more hotels experiment with AI across operations, but not quite in the same way Hertz is using it for automated damage detection and billing. That said, we're not far off," Hollander said. Some hotels, for instance, are already using AI-powered sensors to monitor air quality and trigger fines for smoking or vaping in rooms. But Hollander warns that sometimes the sensors trigger false positives. "Like someone using a hairdryer or aerosol spray — and guests get hit with $500 charges without ever lighting up. It's not hard to imagine how that could go south quickly," Hollander said. But unlike the car rental example, most hotels haven't automated the billing step yet. "They're using AI more to flag potential issues — like a room that smells off, linens that don't meet standards, or maintenance problems — and then looping in a human for the final call," Hollander said. For now, the AI is acting more like a very observant assistant than a judge and jury. "But it's clear that hotels are heading in the same direction," he said. "Between computer vision that can detect damage or wear in a room, and AI that analyzes guest behavior or room conditions in real time, the tech is already there." In a hospitality industry where trust is everything, there are reasons for hotels to move with caution. To date, many hotel operators are using AI to improve things like housekeeping efficiency, energy usage, and guest messaging — but they're being cautious about when and how it impacts the guest directly in a way that can be perceived to hurt the experience. "There's a risk of backlash if hotels start billing guests based solely on what an algorithm says. The moment a guest gets a charge and can't get a straight answer about why or how it was verified, you're in dangerous territory," Hollander said. "If guests feel like they're being watched or nickel-and-dimed by a machine, it undermines the relationship completely," he added. Recent experience in the hotel industry provides at least one cautionary tale, according to Hollander, referring to a custom-modified Alexa for hotels. "Years ago, the hot thing was voice devices, and that never really took off for this reason," he said. A Hertz spokeswoman told CNBC that AI brings uniformity and consistency to the checkout process. "For years, vehicle damage inspections have caused confusion and frustration. The process was manual, subjective, and inconsistent, and that isn't good enough for our customers or our business," she said. She added that with digital vehicle inspections, Hertz is introducing "much-needed precision, objectivity, and transparency to the process – giving our customers greater confidence that they won't be charged for damage that didn't occur during their rental, and a more efficient resolution process when damage does occur." Of the 500,000 rentals scanned so far, more than 97% showed no billable damage, according to Hertz, and damage incidents are declining at scanner-equipped locations. The Hertz spokeswoman acknowledged that the new system is still a work in progress. "We know change of this scale takes time, and we're listening, learning, and improving every day. As we said from the start, our goal through this initiative is to enhance the safety, quality, and reliability of our fleet and to create a more consistent rental experience for our customers." AI excels at pattern recognition, but where it may fall short is with the nuanced decision-making that has historically characterized good customer service, according to McKeen. "What makes these systems particularly problematic is the erosion of contextual judgment," McKeen said. Traditionally, business relationships relied on human discretion to navigate gray areas like "when does a scuffed tire represent normal use versus chargeable damage? When does a hearty portion in a restaurant satisfy a hungry customer versus being wasteful?" Other companies will be watching Hertz closely to see how the AI experiment works out, he said, and then jump right in on the profit opportunity if it is determined that use of the technology won't drive customers away. The use of AI for cost recouping isn't widespread yet because companies have not figured out the balance between customer trust and implementing AI, and the benefit, so far, doesn't outweigh the potential loss in loyalty, said Chuck Reynolds, managing director at L.E.K Consulting and a member of the firm's digital practice. The key for companies to implement these cost recouping tools is transparency. "While the opportunity for AI is huge, organizations need to be thoughtful about embedding it as a copilot, not police or enforcer," Reynolds said. Sustomers will accept AI as part of the experience, he added, if companies are fair, visible, and design the AI experience with empathy. "AI has to have customer-centricity built into its core," Reynolds said, and companies have to keep a role for humans in the process to oversee and override the AI if necessary. "Organizations that do so without thinking through the entire process will have challenges with internal adoption and customer adoption," Reynolds said. Customers should expect to see more of the technology Hertz is deploying in different settings, according to David Rivera, professor of hospitality and tourism at Flagler College. In addition to hotels, the future could include restaurants using AI to itemize plates to ensure accurate billing. But Rivera says all of this is being done with the goal of operational efficiency rather than to punish the customer. Use of AI in hospitality is evolving from passive data collection to active use of real-time decision-making tools, Rivera said, and that includes things like monitoring your rental car or how much you are raiding the mini-bar in your hotel room. "The common thread is increased operational efficiency, enhanced guest satisfaction, and automation of traditionally manual tasks, with a layer of accountability and transparency for both guest and provider," Rivera said. Not everyone is on board with that view, however. "This trend is absolute overkill with AI solution capabilities," said Daniel Keller, CEO of cloud infrastructure company Influx Technologies, which provides data collection and data analysis tools. "This particular use of AI doesn't increase efficiency; it scrutinizes customers of small-margin service businesses looking to suck extra money out of guest experiences."