SUDDEN EXIT — Tanja Ruhnke has unexpectedly left Valentino after joining the couture house on April 7 as chief communication officer. Sources attribute this decision to personal reasons.

 She reported to chief marketing officer Yigit Turhan, who joined the company in 2018.

 Ruhnke was previously chief marketing officer of Maison Margiela.

This was a return to Valentino for Ruhnke, as before joining Margiela in 2020, she was vice president of communication and marketing North America for the brand. 

She brought to Valentino her expertise in the luxury industry developed over the years as vice president of global branding and communications at Alexander Wang, and before that, as a vice president of public relations at KCD in Paris.

Ruhnke has also worked in-house at Helmut Lang and production agency North6 in New York, and provided communication consulting services for the likes of Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Birkenstock.

Valentino is led by chief executive officer Jacopo Venturini. Alessandro Michele was named creative director in March last year.

In July 2023, Kering  bought a 30 percent stake in Valentino from Mayhoola for 1.7 billion euros and has an option to buy the business outright by 2028. Kering and Mayhoola are expected to explore further ways they can work work together, including the potential for investments beyond fashion.