LVMH announces the appointment of Frédéric Arnault to the role of CEO of TAG Heuer from 1 July onwards. His position as head of the company will see him play a role in supporting innovation and accelerating the development of TAG Heuer, as he has done with the successful launch of the latest Connected watch after piloting the entire design phase.
A pioneer of the watchmaking industry since 1860, the Maison will continue to maximise the value of its iconic ranges Carrera, Monaco and Aquaracer , all the while cementing its avant-garde status in the industry with its third generation of smartwatches.
Stéphane Bianchi will assume the role of CEO of the Watch es and Jewelry Division from 1 July onwards. This will see him take the reins of jewelry Maisons Chaumet and FRED, in addition to TAG Heuer, Hublot and Zenith .
Jean-Marc Mansvelt, Managing Director of Chaumet, and Charles Leung, Managing Director of FRED will report to Stéphane Bianchi in his new role. Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, will continue to report to Toni Belloni, LVMH Group Managing Director .
“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,” explains Stéphane Bianchi. "He has carved out a place for digital at the heart of the company’s aspirations, restored real momentum to the collections, all the while skilfully managing the development and launch of the hugely successful third Connected watch generation. Frédéric is passionate about watchmaking, and I am convinced that he and his management team are best placed to lead this wonder ful Maison to the heights of achievement it deserves.”
“Since his arrival at LVMH, Stéphane has given the Watchmaking Division a new lease of life, strengthening the fundamental principles of each of the brands and exploring promising new avenues,” says Bernard Arnault, Chairman and Chief Executive officer. "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. I wish them both every success going forward.”
A former student of France’s École Polytechnique (X2014), Frédéric Arnault started his professional career at Facebook before moving on to consulting firm McKinsey. At the start of 2017 he joined TAG Heuer to manage its smartwatch activities. Since being appointed Chief Strategy and Digital Officer in October 2018, he has led an ambitious transformation and digitalisation campaign within the Maison in close collaboration with Stéphane Bianchi, CEO of the Watchmaking Division and TAG Heuer.
A graduate of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, Stéphane Bianchi started out as a consultant at Arthur Andersen. He then spent a large portion of his career within the Yves Rocher Group, namely as CEO from 1998 to 2015. He contributed to the growth and diversification of the Group, directly managing the brands Yves Rocher and Petit Bateau. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Maus Frères Group (Lacoste, Manor, Gant, etc.). In 2018, he joined the LVMH Group as CEO of TAG Heuer and the Watch making Division.
