The Newly Created Role Consolidates Operations And Technology As Riccardo Bellini Continues To Reshape Leadership
Valentino has appointed Antonio Achille as Chief Operating and Transformation Officer, a newly created role that brings together the house’s industrial operations with its digital and technology functions. He will join on April 8 and report to Chief Executive Officer Riccardo Bellini.
The appointment marks the latest step in Bellini’s ongoing reorganization of the Rome-based couture house since his arrival last September, as he builds out a leadership team aimed at aligning operations, strategy, and brand development.
Achille joins from Chalhoub Group, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President of Business development, strategy, innovation, and new business. His career spans more than three decades across luxury, retail, and consulting, including roles as global head of luxury at Boston Consulting Group, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, and Chief Executive Officer of Natuzzi.
In his new role, Achille will oversee Valentino’s network of production and operational functions, which span multiple Italian manufacturing hubs. These include footwear facilities in Bucine, Limite, and Capraia, as well as the Valentino Shoes Lab and the Valentino Sporting Shoes Lab in the Marche region. Ready-to-wear production is based in Turin, with additional sites in Scandicci and Rosate, while the couture ateliers remain at the house’s headquarters in Rome’s Palazzo Mignanelli.
The creation of the position signals a greater emphasis on operational integration, particularly as Valentino continues to balance heritage craftsmanship with the demands of digital transformation and global scale.
Achille’s appointment follows a series of leadership changes under Bellini. In December, Laurent Bergamo was named deputy CEO, having joined Valentino in 2018 after a long tenure at Tod’s. Davide Tosi was also appointed chief merchandising officer, joining from Gucci, where he served as global chief merchandising officer for ready-to-wear.
The company has also reinforced its regional structure, naming Shi Ning as CEO Greater China and Esther Hörmann as CEO Europe, while Liran Peterzil joined earlier this year as chief marketing officer, overseeing global brand strategy, communications, and events.
These appointments come as Valentino enters a new phase under creative director Alessandro Michele, who presented his latest collection in Rome earlier this month, marking two years since joining the house from Gucci.
At the ownership level, Valentino remains part of a longer-term strategic framework between Kering and Mayhoola. The two groups agreed last year to extend the timeline of their partnership, delaying options related to full ownership until at least 2028.
Together, the leadership reshuffle reflects a broader effort to align Valentino’s creative direction with operational execution, as the brand positions itself for its next phase of growth within an evolving luxury landscape.