Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Elects Francesca Lavazza to the Board of Trustees

NEW YORK, NY –  William L. Mack, Chairman, and Jennifer Blei Stockman, President, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, announced today that Francesca Lavazza has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. The election took place at the February meeting of the board.

In a joint statement, Mr. Mack and Mrs. Stockman said: “The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is honored to welcome Francesca Lavazza as a new trustee. Her strong leadership background at the Lavazza Group, commitment to the Guggenheim program, and demonstrated passion for art and photography will prove to be invaluable, and we are pleased to work with her in this new role.”

Francesca Lavazza stated: “I am honored and enthused by this appointment and have enjoyed getting to know the Guggenheim through the three major exhibitions that Lavazza has successfully supported over the past several years. I look forward to serving on the board and continuing to provide creativity and resources to this great museum.”

Francesca Lavazza is a board member of the Lavazza Group, a leader in the Italian coffee market that is present in over 90 countries worldwide. From 2005 to 2015 Ms. Lavazza served as Corporate Image Director, managing international advertising campaigns and projects, including Lavazza’s annual calendar featuring images by such photographers as Elliott Erwitt, David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz, Steve McCurry, and Helmut Newton.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Lavazza worked in advertising with the Armando Testa agency and studied screenwriting at the New York Film Academy. She was born in Turin, where she continues to live and work.

The Lavazza Group has generously supported Guggenheim exhibitions, especially those focusing on 20th-century art, including Italian Futurism, 1909–1944: Reconstructing the Universe and Alberto Burri: The Trauma of Painting, the most comprehensive retrospective of the Italian artist’s work assembled to date. In addition, Lavazza is the lead sponsor for Moholy-Nagy: Future Present, which will be on view at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum from May 27 to September 7, 2016.