Communications Director Valérie Duport to step down

Kering is seeing the departure of its director of communications and image. Valérie Duport joined the luxury group, which owns Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, in 2016. The company tells us that “Valérie Duport has decided to pursue other projects outside Kering,” confirming a report published by the American magazine WWD. However, the company did not say who will succeed her.

Reporting to Chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault, and a member of the Group’s Executive Committee, for eight years she designed and implemented the company’s communications strategy, promoting the Group’s image in the luxury goods world and raising its profile and visibility.

In September 2023, she oversaw the 10th anniversary of Kering and the Group’s 60th anniversary, while also driving forward the communications strategies of the company’s main brands, including Bottega Veneta and Alexander McQueen.

The French manager, who holds a DEA (equivalent to a Master’s degree) in contemporary history from Paris-Sorbonne University, spent most of her career at Chanel, where she worked for twenty-seven years. She began her career in 1988 in the press department of the Perfumes and Cosmetics division, then moved on to the Watch and Jewellery business, before taking charge of all the luxury group’s communications.