Luxury group Compagnie Financière Richemont SA (Richemont) has reinforced its new beauty and fragrance division, Laboratoire de Haute Parfumerie et Beauté, fortifying its presence in the industry with the appointment of Boet Brinkgreve to the newly established position of chief executive officer.
He directly reports to Richemont’s chairman, Johann Rupert.
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According to Rupert, Brinkgreve will establish and lead Richemont’s new Laboratoire de Haute Parfumerie et Beauté effective September 1 and “enable our six maisons already involved in fragrance to reach critical mass in this highly competitive field, where scale is crucial.”
Richemont fragrances include Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chloé, Dunhill, Alaïa, and Montblanc, which are developed with licensing partners such as Interparfums and Coty, although Cartier maintains an in-house perfumer.
“In partnership with the maisons, and while respecting their unique high-end positioning, the platform will leverage resources across our maisons to help develop the most refined creations and promising licenses,” Rupert continued.
A Dutch-born Swiss national, Brinkgreve brings with him a rich three-decade career primarily focused on the chemicals, fragrances, and flavor industries, with extensive experience in the US, China, and Europe.
His most recent position was at DSM-Firmenich, where he held various senior executive roles from 2007 to 2023, including president of the Ingredients division & Group Procurement and a member of the company’s executive committee. Prior to his tenure at DSM-Firmenich, Boet held business development positions at DuPont from 2003 to 2007 and founded several successful start-ups as an entrepreneur.
Said Rupert: “Boet’s role will be instrumental in enabling our Maisons to reach their full potential in this dynamic market, broadening their clientele base whilst enhancing the Maisons’ capabilities to meet the needs of their highly discerning clientele. With his deep knowledge of the fragrance industry, prior success in driving new ventures, remarkable track record in building winning international teams and commitment to sourcing sustainable ingredients, I am convinced that Boet will prove to be a notable addition to the Group.”
No further details have been shared by Richemont on its new beauty division. Richemont operates across three key business segments: Jewellery Maisons, which includes brands such as Buccellati, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels, Specialist Watchmakers comprising names like IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Vacheron Constantin, and Fashion & Accessories, encompassing Alaïa, Chloé, Delvaux, Dunhill, Montblanc, and Watchfinder & Co, among other brands.
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Luxury rival Kering’s beauty division, Kering Beauté, made a high-profile acquisition earlier this year, snapping up 100 percent of multi-century high-end fragrance house Creed in a bid to strengthen its portfolio of fragrance brands.