“The great thing about Bisazza, as in the case of Alessi, is that it is a world-famous brand, but with the members of a family inside it.” These are the words of Daniel Talens, since February the CEO of the renowned brand of glass mosaics based in Vicenza, taking the place of Piero Bisazza, who is now the president of the firm.
This is the second time that the Spaniard Talens, from Barcelona, has taken over a role in a historic exponent of Italian design, with an important surname (the first time was precisely with Alessi, from 2019 to 2023). “For the company, it is a stroke of luck that Piero Bisazza is still in remarkable shape, both physically and intellectually, and wanted to delegate only the operative aspects of the group, keeping his position as president, in which to focus on the values and artistic initiatives of the brand,” Talens told us during a phone call.
The arrival of an external manager like you, after a history as a family business, will inevitably bring change. Or maybe not?
I wouldn’t speak of a revolution, because this is a marvelous company that has been working just fine for 70 years. The only change implemented has been to decide not to call on another member of the Bisazza family to manage the company on a day to day basis.
A different situation then, with respect to Alessi.
Inside Alessi there was a complex situation, which we were able to resolve, achieving stratospheric results. Here the reality is very different, because we are talking about a strong brand, a company that has no debts and is a market leader in its segment, that of luxury mosaics.
Before entering this world of luxury mosaic tile, you gained experience in very different fields, not just in design. How do you hold these aspects together?
As I always say, since childhood I wanted to be the CEO of a major worldwide trademark. So I took all the steps necessary to achieve my goal. In a multinational food brand like Nestlé I learned how the entire value chain of a company of that size functions; with Hermès I approached the world of luxury for the first time, and I learned the whole part of excellence in products, from the design to the standards of quality. Finally, at Alessi I understood firsthand what it truly means do make design. I have arrived at Bisazza with all this varied experience, but also with lots of humility, aware of the fact that this is a remarkable company run by a marvelous family.
One of the strong points of Bisazza has always been the constant interaction of art. Will it continue?
The relationship between art and Bisazza will definitely continue, becoming even more versatile and experimental, because we have the opportunity to choose from the best designers, who want to work with us to create a new vision of a brand that has 70 years of history. At the latest Salone del Mobile, for example, Daniel Arsham played with neoclassical style and manga comics, to represent the metaphor of transition between past and future.
What is the value, or what are the values, sought after by your audience?
Our clients generally have a high level of aesthetic acumen, and they are not just looking for a logo to put on display. It is a very mature, expert audience.
Where do you seek and find this kind of public in the world today?
Asia is clearly an expanding market, and we have opened branches in Hong Kong and Shanghai. But we focus above all on America for further growth, as well as the Gulf States, while we continue to work with the main European markets, such as England, France and Italy.
Any special dreams for your role as CEO?
The dream of every manager: to pass the brand to the next generation with the same level of desirability, or even a higher level.
