Prada poaches ex-Valentino Chief Human Resources Officer

The Prada Group, the parent company of luxury Italian houses Miu Miu and Prada, has named Rosa Santamaria Maurizio as Chief People Officer, effective this month.

Maurizio succeeds Stefano Rastrelli, who has held this position for ten years and has been with the group since 2007. The Human Resources boss will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Andrea Guerra.

A statement from Prada read: "She will actively contribute to the cultural growth and organisational development of the Prada group, guaranteeing the evolution of human resources."

She joins Prada from rival Italian luxury label Valentino, where she held the position of Chief Human Resources Officer from October 2020. Prior to her stint at Valentino, she spent 14 years at American Express working her way up the ranks in various HR roles.

This news comes as the Prada Group also reshuffles its creative team, with Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons taking the helm at the Prada brand. What’s more, Fabio Zambernardi, who has been Head of Design at Prada and Miu Miu since 2002, is exiting the company next month.

The company, whose portfolio includes Miu Miu, has seen strong financial success as of late. In July, the company revealed that retail sales were up by 21% to £1.69 million (€1.975 million) for the first half of the year ending 30 June 2023. The Prada brand reported sales were up by 18% year-on-year and Miu Miu’s sales were up by 50% year-on-year.