Tanja Ruhnke will join the fashion house as Chief Communications Officer, effective April 7. She will report to Chief Marketing Officer Yigit Turhan, who joined the company in 2018.
Ruhnke most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer at Maison Margiela.
This is Ruhnke’s return to Valentino, where she served as Vice President of North American Communications and Marketing before joining Margiela in 2020.
She brings her expertise in the luxury industry to Valentino, acquired over her years as Vice President of Global Brand & Communications at Alexander Wang and, before that, Vice President of PR at KCD in Paris.
Ruhnke has also worked at Helmut Lang and New York production agency North6, and has provided communications consulting services to brands including Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Birkenstock.
Valentino is led by CEO Jacopo Venturini. Alessandro Michele was named Creative Director last March.
In July 2023, Kering revealed that it had acquired a 30% stake in Valentino for €1.7 billion in cash as part of a broader strategic partnership with Mayhoola, the Qatari investment fund that controls the haute couture brand.
Kering has the right to acquire 100% of Valentino’s capital by 2028, while Mayhoola may become a shareholder in Kering. The two luxury partners are expected to jointly explore further opportunities that are in line with their respective strategies, including potential investments outside of fashion.