Richemont appoints new leaders for Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels

Richemont has named Vacheron Constantin CEO Louis Ferla, who will replace Cyrille Vigneron as CEO of Cartier, effective September 1. The company also has a new CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels.

But first, Cartier is changing. Vigneron will retire after “eight successful years at the helm of the Maison, (and) take over as president of Cartier Culture & Philanthropy.” He will also work with Ferla “to ensure a smooth transition.”

Ferla joined Richemont in 2001, starting at Alfred Dunhill as Area Sales Manager in Hong Kong and then as General Manager in Taipei. In 2006, he joined Cartier, holding various management positions in the Middle East, India and Africa before being appointed CEO in China. In 2015, he joined Cartier’s executive committee as International Director Clients & Business and has been CEO of Vacheron Constantin since 2017.

Group Chairman Johann Rupert said he “has earned the admiration and respect of colleagues across the group and the industry for so brilliantly positioning Vacheron Constantin at the pinnacle of Haute Horlogerie. His experience and leadership qualities will prove invaluable to Cartier’s long-term success.”

He also said that Vigneron ““vision and bold leadership over the past eight years” have allowed Cartier to reach “new heights and become a reference point in the world of luxury.”

He thanked him for his involvement in selecting the right person to be his successor.

Meanwhile, recently appointed Richemont CEO Nicolas Bos added: “I have always admired Louis’ strategic vision and inspiring management style, which have served him well in building Vacheron Constantin into one of the world’s leading luxury watchmakers. I look forward to watching Cartier thrive under his leadership.”

As mentioned, in another key move, the luxury group announced that Catherine Rénier, currently CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, will replace Bos as CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, also from September 1. She will report to him following his appointment as group CEO.

Rénier has more than 20 years of experience in jewelry and luxury watches at Richemont, joining the group in 1999 as director of retail development for Cartier North America in New York before moving to Paris in 2003 to join Van Cleef & Arpels as deputy marketing manager.

In 2008, she moved to Hong Kong where she became the Maison’s Commercial Director, then in 2011 she became Managing Director of Hong Kong and Macau SAR in China, and finally for eight years she was President of the Asia Pacific region. In 2018 she became CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Bos said that in her six years at the helm of Jaeger-LeCoultre, she had built “a strong leadership team and a clear and differentiated positioning for the Maison, which has been fundamental to its success during her tenure. Catherine brings the ideal combination of experience and leadership skills to the role.”

Jaeger-LeCoultre Chief Financial Officer Philippe Hermann will take over temporary notice General Manager until a new leader is announced.