Richemont reshuffles management of Jaeger-LeCoultre and Baume & Mercier

By

Sarah Ahssen

Published
May 1, 2018

Currently engaged in acquiring online retail platform Yoox-Net-A-Porter, Swiss luxury group Richemont – which owns brands such as Cartier, Piaget and Chloé, and is currently third in line in the global luxury group rankings, behind LVMH and Kering, the latter having knocked it out of the number two spot at the beginning of the year – is reshuffling the management of some of its watch brands. From 1st May 2018, Catherine Rénier, current Asia-Pacific president at Van Cleef & Arpels, will step in as CEO at Jaeger-LeCoultre. 

Catherine Rénier began her career with Cartier in New York in 1999, working as retail development director, before joining Van Cleef & Arpels in 2003 as deputy international marketing director. Five years later, she transferred to Hong Kong to support the brand's development in the Asia-Pacific region, first as regional commercial director and then as managing director for Hong Kong and Macau. 

In her new role, she will succeed Geoffroy Lefebvre who will, in turn, be taking over as CEO of Baume & Mercier from 1st June. Having arrived at Richemont in 2011, after ten years with McKinsey & Company, Lefebvre first served as group industry director, before becoming managing director of operations at Vacheron Constantin, then deputy CEO at Jaeger-LeCoultre. At Baume & Mercier, he will succeed Alain Zimmermann who will become director of e-distribution strategy for Richemont's watch brands.

In the third quarter of fiscal 2017/18 ended 31st December 2017, Richemont reported turnover of 3.1 billion euros, up 7% in constant currencies compared to the same period in the previous year.