Vitalie Taittinger: Art School Graduate to Champagne CEO

What does it take to lead a centuries-old Champagne house like a startup, without losing what makes it special?In this episode of Compelling, host Katy Wellesley-Wesley speaks with Vitalie Taittinger, President and CEO of Champagne Taittinger, about independence, legacy, and the long-term thinking that comes with family stewardship. Vitalie reflects on her early ambition to become a painter, the turning point of the 2005 sale of the wider Taittinger group, and why her father’s determination to buy the house back reshaped her own path.They discuss what it means to build an experience around a brand, from Polychrome, Taittinger’s cultural restaurant concept, to ArsNova, a philanthropic project designed to widen access to beauty, culture, and shared experiences.(00:00) - Welcome to Compelling (02:53) - The 2005 Sale and a Family Turning Point (04:53) - Buying Back the House and Finding Meaning (08:02) - Independence, Long-Term Thinking, and Leadership (12:12) - Working With Family (17:30) - Differentiation and Brand Identity in Champagne (20:14) - Polychrome: Culture as Visitor Experience (24:29) - ArsNova: Philanthropy, Beauty, and Access (31:15) - Drinking Habits, No-and-Low, and Celebration (34:14) - Sustainability as Measurement and Change Management (37:16) - Advice, Leadership, and the Meaning of Luxury 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