Testing times on way to top for heir to Benetton empire

Being heir apparent to the Benetton fashion empire means Mauro Benetton has to work doubly hard to prove himself.

And don't think Mauro was spoilt rotten as a child in one of the wealthiest families in the world. In fact his father, Luciano, the president of the Benetton Group, went to great lengths to ensure his son understood the value of money.

'When I was 13 I worked as a golf caddie after school. I remember saving up to buy a pair of shoes. I remember going to the store but I was just a few lire short and I asked my father to pay the difference. He refused. He told me that if I wanted those shoes I had to earn them myself,' says Mauro. He added that in high school all his friends had motorbikes apart from him. 'My father told me to work in our store if I wanted a motorbike.' Looking back, Mauro now appreciates what his father did. 'He was tough on me but that taught me the value of money. It also gave me a strong personality.' Mauro started working for the Benetton Group almost 20 years ago, 'folding merchandise in the stockroom.' After completing his studies in Italy and getting an MBA, Mauro went on to supervise and subsequently manage a Benetton store. But he really proved himself and gained respect from his father when he took over Sisley, one of the group's main lines, and successfully relaunched it, resulting in a period of record growth of 20 per cent for four consecutive years.

With a total turnover of US$25 billion (HK$193.5 billion) and with 7,000 stores in 120 countries, Mauro says Benetton is ready to take on the rest of the world.

He shuns the playboy lifestyle and prefers to indulge in sports. 'I love skiing, mountain biking, cycling and basketball. But because of work I hardly have any time to do those things.'