LVMH appoints Frédéric Arnault as CEO of Tag Heuer

LVMH has announced the appointment of Frédéric Arnault as Tag Heuer’s CEO, effective from July 1.

25-year-old Arnault, son of LVMH chairman and chief executive officer Bernard Arnault, joined Tag Heuer in 2017 to manage its smartwatch activities. Previously piloting the design phase of the latest Connected watch, he will now, as head of the company, support innovation and accelerate the Swiss watchmaker’s development.

Stéphane Bianchi, previously CEO of Tag Heuer, will now assume the role of CEO of LVMH’s watches and jewelry division from July 1. In addition to the watch brands Tag Heuer, Hublot and Zenith, Bianchi will now oversee jewelry house Maisons Chaumet and Parisian jeweler Fred.

“It fills me with pride to see Frédéric succeed me at the helm of Tag Heuer after the key role he has played in its strategic repositioning,” Bianchi said in a statement. “He has carved out a place for digital at the heart of the company’s aspirations, restored real momentum to the collections, all while skilfully managing the development and launch of the hugely successful third Connected watch generation.”

Bernard Arnault added: “Since his arrival at LVMH, Stéphane has given the watchmaking division a new lease of life. I am certain that he will continue this great work and that he will apply all of his talents and his determination to the development of the Maisons Chaumet and Fred.

“Frédéric’s appointment comes as an affirmation of his achievements at Tag Heuer, where he succeeded in combining innovation, heritage and savoir-faire within this historic brand. These two appointments demonstrate our full confidence in the growth potential of these brands.”

Tag Heuer will continue to focus on its Carrera, Monaco and Aquaracer ranges, while also using its third generation of smartwatches to “cement its avant-garde status in the industry,” LVMH said.

With Frédéric’s appointment, four of Bernard Arnault’s five children now occupy senior positions within the LVMH group.

Photo Credit: LVMH