Richemont has done a seismic shake-up at its best-known jewelry maisons, appointing new CEOs for Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
First, the conglomerate announced that Louis Ferla (left), currently the CEO of Richemont-owned watch brand Vacheron Constantin, will succeed Cyrille Vigneron as head of Cartier, effective Sept. 1.
Vigneron is retiring after eight and a half years leading Cartier, according to a statement. Beginning in September, he will be chairman of Cartier Culture and Philanthropy, and will assist Ferla with the transition. Vigneron was recently named chair of trade fair Watches and Wonders, replacing Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour.
Richemont also announced that Catherine Rénier will take over as CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels from Nicolas Bos, who became CEO of the parent company last month. Rénier has been CEO of another Richemont watch brand, Jaeger-LeCoultre, since 2018. She and Bos both assume their new roles on Sept. 1.
Philippe Hermann, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s chief financial officer, will serve as interim CEO for the watch company until a new CEO is announced. At press time, there was no word on who was replacing Ferla at Vacheron Constantin.
Both Ferla and Rénier are Richemont veterans.
Ferla, a French national, joined Richemont in 2001 at Alfred Dunhill, originally as area sales manager in Hong Kong and then as general manager in Taipei. In 2006, he moved over to Cartier, where he held several executive positions, including CEO of its China division. He has headed Vacheron Constantin since 2017.
Rénier, also a French national, has been with Richemont since 1999, when she started as Cartier North America’s retail development director, based in New York City. In 2003, she moved to Paris to become Van Cleef & Arpels’ deputy marketing manager. In 2008, she relocated to Hong Kong, where she eventually served as president of its Asia-Pacific region.
(Photos courtesy of Richemont)
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