Prada appoints Rosa Santamaria Maurizio as head of human resources

Led by Andrea Guerra since the start of the year, Prada has announced a change in its human resources department. The Italian luxury group has recruited Rosa Santamaria Maurizio from Valentino, appointing her chief people officer. She succeeds Stefano Rastrelli, who has held this position for ten years and has been with the group since 2007.

The Italian manager will report directly to CEO Andrea Guerra. “She will actively contribute to the cultural growth and organisational development of the Prada group, guaranteeing the evolution of human resources,” says the company in a press release.

A graduate in engineering from Rome’s La Sapienza University, Rosa Santamaria Maurizio began her career as a consultant with Ernst & Young. In 2004, she joined the human resources department of the US pharmaceutical group Bristol Myers Squibb.

Two years later, she joined American Express, where she spent fourteen years, successively managing human resources in various regions between Europe, Turkey and South Africa. It wasn’t until 2020 that she moved into the world of luxury, taking over as head of human resources at the Roman label Valentino.

Her arrival at Prada coincides with a strong recovery for the group, which controls the Prada, Miu Miu, Car Shoe and Church’s brands. In the first half of the year, the company recorded growth of 17% to €2.23 billion and a 62% jump in net profit to €305 million.

There have also been recent changes in the creative team, with Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons leading the main Prada line. After more than forty years, Fabio Zambernardi, who has been head of design at Prada and Miu Miu since 2002, is preparing to leave the Milan-based firm in October.