On January 5, it was announced that Frédéric Arnault, chief executive of Swiss sports watch brand TAG Heuer, will become CEO of the LVMH watches.
29-year-old Frédéric Arnault is the fourth child of LVMH Group Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault. He joined TAG Heuer in 2018 as head of strategy and was promoted to CEO in 2020.
The position of CEO of LVMH Watches was newly created with the appointment of Frédéric Arnault. Incidentally, his attendance at a Bulgari event last summer led to speculation in the industry that he would be appointed CEO of the brand. Other reports predicted that he would take over one of the fashion brands owned by LVMH, but this time he has assumed a new position that is completely different from those speculations.
Meanwhile, TAG Heuer, where Frédéric Arnaud has left, welcomes Julien Tornare as his successor. Tornare has been the CEO of Zenith since 2017 until today.
Frédéric Arnaud is responsible for the group’s watch brands including TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith. LVMH is usually reluctant to share figures on smaller divisions of its €79.2 billion business, but Frédéric Arnaud says the three brands will have a turnover of around CHF1.6 billion (£1.5 billion) in 2023.
Frédéric Arnaud will report directly to Stephane Bianchi, CEO of the Watches & Jewelry Division of LVMH and a member of the Executive Committee. His younger brother, Jean Arnault, is not in Frédéric Arnault’s scope of responsibility, as he is in charge of Louis Vuitton’s watch division. The LVMH watches division does not include BULGARI, Tiffany & Co., and other LVMH-owned jewelry brands Chaumet, Fred, and Repossi.
Note that Frédéric Arnaud also attracted public attention last year when he was reportedly romantically involved with BLACKPINK’s Lisa.
