Valentino Welcomes Riccardo Bellini as Chief Executive Officer

Valentino has appointed Riccardo Bellini as its new chief executive officer, succeeding Jacopo Venturini at a pivotal juncture for the Roman maison. Effective 1 September 2025, the move signals both continuity and urgency, as the brand navigates a luxury slowdown, creative recalibration, and questions over its long-term ownership.

Bellini, who joined Mayhoola for Investments in January as managing director, will now step away from that role to focus entirely on Valentino: the jewel in the Qatari fund’s fashion portfolio, which also includes Balmain and Pal Zileri.

His mandate is to return the house to growth while aligning with Alessandro Michele’s audacious new creative vision. The timing is critical. Valentino’s revenues fell 4 percent to €1.31 billion in 2024, with EBITDA slipping 22 percent. Michele’s archive-driven Spring/Summer 2025 debut dazzled with couture theatrics but has yet to resonate commercially. Investors, meanwhile, are watching closely. French luxury giant Kering, which acquired a 30 percent stake in Valentino in 2023, retains an option to buy full control by 2028.

But with incoming CEO Luca de Meo under pressure to stabilise Kering’s own faltering portfolio, that path is well, less certain than before.

“Riccardo’s extensive luxury experience, strategic acumen and proven leadership- together with Alessandro Michele’s powerful creative vision, will drive the maison forward and amplify its unique identity,” said Rachid Mohamed Rachid, chairman of Valentino and Mayhoola, in a statement. Bellini himself described the move as both honour and opportunity: “Valentino blends extraordinary heritage and craftsmanship with a unique creative voice. I look forward to working with Alessandro Michele and the exceptional teams to celebrate the maison’s timeless values while crafting its next chapter.”

His exit, officially for personal reasons, came as Valentino grappled with declining sales and broader industry headwinds- the challenge is familiar.

As CEO of Maison Margiela from 2017 to 2019, he steadied the house alongside John Galliano. At Chloé (2019–2023), he pushed an elevation strategy rooted in craft and sustainability: making the maison the first major luxury brand to achieve B Corp certification in 2021. He also oversaw a designer transition from Gabriela Hearst to Chemena Kamali, reinforcing his reputation as an executive attuned to both creative and commercial nuance. Now, at Valentino, Bellini must strike a delicate balance: translating Michele’s maximalist, layered-on storytelling into products and campaigns that resonate with the house’s historically more restrained clientele, while reassuring shareholders that the maison can weather a turbulent luxury climate (we all know the roughness in the air currents).

The stakes extend beyond fashion. Valentino is not only navigating a creative and financial reset but also serving as a literal litmus test for Mayhoola’s strategy and Kering’s appetite for further acquisitions.

At its core lies a question: can heritage, craftsmanship, and bold reinvention converge fast enough to anchor Valentino’s future relevance?For Bellini, the task is as daunting as it is defining. But if history is any guide (and it always is), the Italian executive thrives in moments when maisons stand at a crossroads.

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