Swiss group Richemont said that Emmanuel Perrin, who is currently international sales director of Cartier, would become head of specialist watchmakers distribution.
Source ; Amit Dev Handa
Moreover, Richemont appointed Jérôme Lambert to the newly created role of chief operating officer. Lambert was previously head of operations.
The newly created roles at the world’s largest luxury group will see Perrin head up Richemont’s standalone brands such as IWC Schaffhausen, Officine Panerai and Piaget.
Richemont hopes the appointments will steer the development of key wholesale partnerships, a task that Perrin has experience in via his work with Cartier and Van Cleef brands and linking them to reputable wholesalers.
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“A prime area of focus will be matching supply with end-customer demand,” said Richemont chairman Johann Rupert.
“We will continue our transformation of the specialist watchmakers’ business models to meet the demands of today’s environment.”
Richemont’s watchmaking division was in dire straits in July when boss Georges Kern jumped ship and joined competitor Breitling.
Last week, Richemont reported a solid increase in sales and an 80 percent jump in net profit for the six months to September 30.
Sales in Asia Pacific were up 23 percent, with Mainland China, clocking double-digit growth, along with Hong Kong, Korea and Macau.
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Sales of watches at the jewellery and accessories brands (Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Montblanc) were up 14 percent, while the company’s specialist watch division saw sales climb 6 percent to 1.53 billion euros.
Richemont group operates luxury jewellery and watch brands including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Dunhill and Lancel, among others.
In August 2017, the firm acquired Italian leather supplier Serapian for an undisclosed sum.