Giambattista Valli chief executive Charlotte Werner steps down

Charlotte Werner, the chief executive officer of Italian luxury label Giambattista Valli, has announced she is exiting the business to “move on to a new challenge”.

Werner, who has been at the helm of the brand for the past three years, said in a LinkedIn post: “I am very thankful to Mr François Pinault, Mr Francois-Henri Pinault, and the Artémis team for their trust and continuous support.

“I am also grateful to Giambattista for sharing his vision of beauty and excellence.”

Werner was appointed CEO of the brand in the summer of 2020, notably during the early stages of the pandemic.

She joined from luxury rival Louis Vuitton, where she was the manager of women’s leather goods collections.

Werner continued: “I started my journey with the Maison in 2020, right in the middle of the Covid crisis.

“We overcame great challenges, have grown the team, expanded our geographic and product footprint, built and scaled up our online presence, bringing the business into a growth trajectory”.

Fashion designer Giambattista Valli founded his eponymous label in 2005 with the launch of his first solo show in Paris.

In 2017, Artémis – the investment arm of the Pinault family – bought a minority stake in the fashion house. Founder Valli remains the majority shareholder.