Luxury group Richemont has announced the appointment of two new leaders at its respective jewellery brands, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels.
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Louis Ferla, currently chief executive officer of Vacheron Constantin, will succeed Cyrille Vigneron as chief executive officer of Cartier, effective September 1. Vigneron, who has decided to retire after eight years at the helm of the maison, will assume the position of chairman of Cartier culture and philanthropy, and work with Ferla to ensure a smooth transition.
Ferla first 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, where he held various senior executive positions, namely across the Middle East, India and Africa before being appointed CEO in China. In 2015, he was promoted to the jewellery maison’s executive committee as international director clients and business, before taking on the role of CEO of Vacheron Constantin, in 2017.
In a separate release, the Swiss luxury giant announced the appointment of Catherine Rénier, currently chief executive officer of Jaeger-LeCoultre, to the role of chief executive officer at Van Cleef & Arpels, succeeding Nicolas Bos, effective September 1. In the new role, Renier will Bos, following his recent appointment as Richemont’s CEO.
Philippe Hermann, chief financial officer, will assume the role of ad interim CEO for Jaeger-LeCoultre until a new CEO is announced.
Rénier boasts more than 20 years of jewellery and luxury watchmaking experience at Richemont. The executive joined the group in 1999 as Cartier North America’s retail development director in New York. In 2003, she moved to Paris to join Van Cleef & Arpels as deputy marketing manager, where she contributed to the development of the maison, before relocating to Hong Kong in 2008 to support the maison’s growth in the Asia Pacific Region, first as commercial director, then as managing director for Hong Kong & Macau SAR, China in 2011, and finally as president for Asia Pacific, a position that she held for eight years. Rénier was appointed as CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre in 2018.
“I have always admired Louis’ strategic vision and inspiring management style, which have served him well in turning Vacheron Constantin into one of the world’s leading luxury watchmakers. I look forward to seeing Cartier continue to thrive under his leadership,” said Bos, regarding Ferla’s promotion.
“I am delighted that Catherine will be taking on the role of CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, after 6 years at the helm of Jaeger-LeCoultre where she built a strong leadership team and a clear and differentiated positioning for the Maison, which has been foundational to its success during her tenure. Catherine brings the perfect mix of experience and leadership skills to the role, which, coupled with her deep knowledge of the maison, will enable her to ensure Van Cleef & Arpels long-term success,” added Bos.
The appointment comes one month after Bos was appointed to the newly established role of CEO of Richemont, effective June 1.
In its most recent trading update, Richemont, which also owns the Buccellati, Chloé, A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, and Alaia brands, reported a 3 percent increase in full-year revenues to EUR 20.6 billion, despite sales growth slowing in the fourth quarter on a “softening” Asia Pacific.