Valentino
Italian luxury brand Valentino has appointed Riccardo Bellini as Chief Executive Officer, effective this September.
In his new role, Riccardo Bellini will work closely with the brand’s Creative Director, Alessandro Michele, to “drive the brand forward and strengthen its unique identity.”
Most recently, Riccardo Bellini served as Managing Director of Mayhoola For Investments (Mayhoola), the Qatari royal family’s investment firm and majority shareholder of Valentino. He took on this role in February of this year.
Born in Italy, Bellini holds a degree in Economics from Bocconi University in Milan. He began his career at Procter & Gamble, where he spent a total of 12 years, concluding his tenure as Marketing Director for the Beauty and Prestige division.
In 2007, he joined Italian fashion group OTB and spent a decade at its denim label Diesel in various management and marketing roles. In 2015, he was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for both Diesel and Diesel Black Gold. Two years later, he took over management of another OTB-owned brand, Maison Margiela, where he remained until 2019. From 2019 to the end of 2023, Bellini served as CEO of Chloé under Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont.
Levi Strauss & Co.
American denim fashion group Levi Strauss & Co. has appointed Chris Callieri as its newly created Chief Supply Chain Officer, effective September 15.
In his new role, Chris Callieri will oversee the company’s global supply chain operations, encompassing product development, sustainability, distribution, and logistics. He will report directly to CEO Michelle Gass.
Callieri previously held supply chain leadership roles at brands including Victoria’s Secret and Tory Burch.
The company announced the creation of the Chief Supply Chain Officer role in February this year, concurrently with the planned retirement of Chief Operating Officer Liz O’Neill, leading to the elimination of the COO position.
Factor Bikes
Factor Bikes, the British high-end bicycle brand under China-based Zhonglu Co., has appointed Chris Riekert as Director of U.S. Market Operations. He assumed the role in June.
In his new position, Chris Riekert will focus on enhancing the brand’s retail presence, establishing event and test ride programs, and strengthening its sports marketing and media strategy. His responsibilities include aligning regional priorities with global initiatives, and collaborating closely with dealers, athletes, and brand ambassadors.
Riekert brings over 15 years of experience in retail, product marketing, and storytelling. He previously served as Creative Director at Mike’s Bikes, and before that, spent nearly a decade at Specialized, where he contributed to the launch of models such as the Tarmac, Venge, and Diverge. He also played a role in projects like Red Hook Crit and Specialized’s partnership with Legion of LA. Additionally, he has worked with cycling startups and co-created video content with NorCal Cycling’s Jeff Linder.
In March this year, Zhonglu Co. announced that its affiliate Zhonglu Advantage had completed a strategic acquisition of British high-end bicycle brand Factor Bikes Pty Ltd in partnership with VSI Cycling Limited. Leveraging Factor’s R&D strengths, the acquisition aims to help Zhonglu’s legacy brand “Forever” break technological barriers in the high-end carbon fiber bicycle segment, addressing a long-standing gap for Chinese brands in this field.
｜Source: Bloomberg, official press releases, SGB Media
｜Image Credit: Brand websites, personal social media accounts
｜Editor: LeZhi
