Bonus Content: Friendship Over Figures

What happens when a luxury business makes decisions based on people, not spreadsheets?In this bonus episode of Compelling, Katy Wellesley-Wesley speaks with Vitalie Taittinger about the human logic that sits behind a family-owned Champagne house: choosing distributors for fit and friendship, building long-term relationships, and treating fun and ease of collaboration as real business signals.The conversation also turns to British wine and Domaine Evremond, Taittinger’s English sparkling wine project in Kent. Vitalie describes the mix of Champagne heritage and local culture, and why doing something slightly disruptive can be a strength when it is grounded in craft and clarity.Vitalie Taittinger: Vitalie Taittinger is President and CEO of Champagne Taittinger, one of the few major Champagne houses that remains family-owned. Based in Reims, she helps lead the house’s long-term strategy across brand, culture, and international growth, with a focus on stewardship of place and craft. Her background in art and design informs a leadership style rooted in collaboration, experience, and emotional resonance.Visit TaittingerKaty Wellesley Wesley: With over 18 years of leadership across galleries, foundations, and startups, Katy has built a career shaped by curiosity and a drive to explore new ideas. She spent a decade at leading commercial galleries—first at Gagosian, then at Pace, where she was Director of Exhibitions in London. She went on to lead the Villa Lena Foundation in Italy as Director, before joining the founding team of ROKBOX, a pioneering environmentally focused art logistics startup, as Sales Director. After relocating to Paris six years ago, Katy developed a strong interest in the intersection of art and luxury. To deepen this focus, she recently completed an Executive Master’s in Luxury Management and Design Innovation, a joint program between ESSEC Business School and Parsons School of Design. She now works as a consultant to brands, artists, foundations, and collectors. Among her clients is the legendary art publisher Cahiers d’Art, where she heads Commercial Partnerships.Compelling is proudly in partnership with Cahiers d’Art.Compelling is produced in collaboration with Cahiers d’Art, the iconic Paris-based art publisher founded in 1926, home of the Catalogue Raisonné of Picasso and most recently the Frank Gehry Drawings Catalogue Raisonné. At the heart of it's publishing program is the Cahiers d'Art Revue, one of the most significant and longest-standing annual art publications of the last century. In 2026, Cahiers d’Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a series of major publications, projects and exhibitions in collaboration with leading global institutions, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the MoMA in New York City and the Musée Picasso in Paris.Visit Cahiers d’ArtArt direction by Eddie Harrop StudioWebsite and Production by Story Ninety-Four