Bram Schot to join Richemont board, Bérangère Ruchat is now on executive committee

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 10, 2023

Luxury giant Richemont announced two key executive appointments on Friday with Bérangère Ruchat stepping up to the group’s Senior Executive Committee in her capacity as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), and Bram Schot being elected to the board. 

Ruchat will continue to report to Burkhart Grund, the group’s CFO who’s also on the board of the Chloé, Dunhill and Cartier owner.

She became the firm’s very first CSO a year ago, after over two decades of extensive expertise in the field of sustainability and collaborative work across the world of business, governments, and NGOs. Her previous role was at Firmenich, also as CSO. And in 2016 she’d been acknowledged for her work in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) by the WBCSD’s Leading Women Awards.

Group chairman Johann Rupert said that “in just 12 months, Berry has significantly contributed to strengthening Richemont’s sustainability strategy, further raising the Group’s understanding of sustainability and ESG reporting and compliance matters”.

Meanwhile Bram Schot’s appointment to the board as a non-exec is an interesting one. 

The Dutch national brings more than three decades of experience in the premium automotive industry with various management positions, including CEO roles, at DaimlerChrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen Group and Audi in different countries. 

He’s also a non-exec at oil giant Shell and is a member of its Safety, Environmental and Sustainability Committee. Additionally, he’s a senior advisor to different companies, including the Carlyle Group, Global Cleantec Capital and ADS-Tec Holding. Plus he’s a Professor in Leadership & Entrepreneurship at Bocconi University, Italy, and Chairman of the Future Mobility Lab MobiUS.

Rupert said of him: “He brings unparalleled managerial experience and expertise in client-centricity, technology, sustainability, innovation, and risk management to help reach our objective of achieving long-term profitable, responsible and sustainable growth. 

“Bram has gained a deep understanding not only of sustainability as a means to innovate to transform business models, but also of the complex automobile supply chain which bears many similarities with the watch industry, and of the importance of creating iconic and timeless products for customers.”