【Paris, Franc】Frédéric Arnault Becomes CEO of Tag Heuer, Stéphane Bianchi to Lead LVMH’s Watches and Jewelry Division

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Editor’s Note

This article outlines a significant leadership transition at Tag Heuer and within LVMH’s watch division, effective July 1, 2020. Frédéric Arnault is set to become CEO of the iconic watchmaker, while Stéphane Bianchi will oversee the broader watches and jewelry portfolio for the luxury group.

Frédéric Arnault to Become Tag Heuer CEO

Frédéric Arnault, son of LVMH owner Bernard Arnault, will become CEO of the French luxury watchmaker Tag Heuer effective July 1, 2020.

Stéphane Bianchi Takes Over LVMH’s Watches and Jewelry Division

Stéphane Bianchi, who currently holds the position, will take over the leadership of LVMH’s Watches and Jewelry division. In addition to the watch brands Tag Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith, Bianchi will now also lead the jewelry house Maisons Chaumet and the Parisian jeweler Fred.

The 25-year-old Frédéric Arnault has had a meteoric rise at Tag Heuer: He joined the company in 2017 while still a student and has been the brand’s Chief Digital Officer, responsible for smartwatches. Prior to that, he worked for Facebook and the consulting firm McKinsey.

“Frédéric’s appointment is a recognition of his achievements at Tag Heuer, where he has succeeded in uniting innovation, tradition, and savoir-faire within this historic brand. These two appointments demonstrate our full confidence in the growth potential of these brands,” commented Bernard Arnault on the appointments a few days ago.

Tag Heuer will continue to focus on its watch lines Carrera, Monaco, and Aquaracer while deploying its third generation of smartwatches to “consolidate its avant-garde status in the industry,” according to LVMH.

“It fills me with pride to see Frédéric, after the key role he played in the strategic repositioning of Tag Heuer, succeed me at the helm of the company. He has given digital technology a place at the heart of the company’s ambitions, reinvigorated the collections, and skillfully overseen the development and launch of the highly successful third generation of Connected watches,” said Bianchi.

The 55-year-old Bianchi spent most of his career at the Yves Rocher Group, which he led as CEO from 1998 to 2015, particularly the brands Yves Rocher and Petit Bateau. He then moved to the board of the Maus Group, which includes the brands Lacoste and Gant. On November 1, 2018, Bianchi took over from Jean-Claude Biver as President of LVMH’s Watches division, specifically the brands Hublot, Zenith, and Tag Heuer, and was also appointed CEO of Tag Heuer.

“Since his arrival at LVMH, Stéphane has breathed new life into the Watches division. I am confident that he will continue this great work and that he will bring all his talent and determination to the development of Maisons Chaumet and Fred,” explained Arnault.

Jean-Marc Mansvelt, CEO of Chaumet, and Charles Leung, CEO of Fred, will both report to Bianchi, while Jean-Christophe Babin, Chairman and CEO of Bulgari, will continue to report to Toni Belloni, Deputy CEO of the LVMH Group.
With the latest appointment, four of Arnault’s five eldest children now hold leadership positions at LVMH, including at Vuitton and Rimowa.

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⏰ Published on: August 07, 2020