Frédéric Arnault Named CEO, LVMH Watches, Ahead of the Group’s Watch Week

In the latest round of high-profile reshuffles at LVMH, Frédéric Arnault, one of Group owner Bernard Arnault’s five children and heirs, has been promoted to the role of CEO, LVMH Watches. He will be overseeing the luxury conglomerate’s Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith brands. Formerly the CEO of TAG Heuer, Frédéric will now report to Stéphane Bianchi, CEO of the LVMH Watches and Jewelry Division. 

Furthermore, Julien Tornare, CEO, Zenith, is now the CEO of TAG Heuer and Benoit de Clerck (see below) will be the CEO of Zenith. Julien, Benoit and Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, will now report to Frédéric. It may be noted here that the LVMH will soon host its annual Watch Week event in Miami. Mediapersons and guests will be flown in from around the world to get a sneak preview of some of the new timepieces from the luxury group’s watchmakers, including TAG Heuer, Zenith, Hublot, Louis Vuitton, and Bvlgari.

On the promotion, Stéphane Bianchi, CEO, LVMH Watches & Jewelry Divison, said, “Frédéric has done a tremendous job at TAG Heuer over the past six years. His unique and disruptive vision for the watchmaking industry led to a spectacular transformation for TAG Heuer, which recovered its credentials in record time as the luxury watch brand driven by high performance. 

He added, “I am extremely pleased to have Frédéric join me within the LVMH Watches and Jewelry Division to oversee our three Watch Maisons, and eager to see what his unique insights and vision will bring to fuel additional and sustainable growth for them.”

Here’s what you need to know about the key players in question.

Frédéric Arnault: He started his professional career at consulting firm McKinsey before moving on to the Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research department. He joined TAG Heuer in 2017, first to manage its smartwatch activities and then to carry out responsibilities as the Chief Strategy and Digital Officer in October 2018; he became the brand CEO in July 2020. In this role, managing over 2,000 people, he engaged the company in implementing a complete transformation plan centred around one objective: brand elevation and desirability. He graduated from Ecole Polytechnique (X2014) in France.

Julien Tornare: Active for 26 years in the watchmaking industry, Julien initially worked at Raymond Weil for two years before spending 17 years at Vacheron Constantin, a branch of Richemont, first as the Director for the Swiss Market, subsequently as the brand's US President and the HQ International Sales Director, and finally as the Managing Director for Asia-Pacific. He further developed his management and leadership skills as the Zenith CEO. He graduated from IMD Business School, Lausanne, and London Metropolitan University.

Benoit de Clerck: With 25 years in the watchmaking industry within the Richemont Group, Benoit has led global sales in the competitive luxury goods markets across four continents. His deep international business development experience shaped his business strategies as well as his ability to connect with consumers to truly understand their needs. He worked as the Chief Commercial Officer at Panerai before his appointment at Zenith. Benoit graduated from the Concordia University of Montreal.