LVMH has taken major steps to fortify management of its largest brands Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior with promotions from its own rich stable of executive talent.

Damien Bertrand, currently CEO of Loro Piana, will become deputy chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton.

Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou, who joined Vuitton as strategic missions director for fashion and leather goods and was later named executive vice president, will become deputy CEO of Christian Dior Couture.

Frédéric Arnault, currently CEO of LVMH Watches, which comprises Tag Heuer, Hublot and Zenith, will become CEO of Loro Piana. Arnault joins Loro Piana on March 26 for a transition period with Betrand, who starts at Vuitton on June 10, and also becomes a member of LVMH’s executive committee.

Arnault is credited with playing a key role in developing the 10-year global partnership between LVMH and Formula 1, after becoming CEO of LVMH Watches last year, after becoming CEO of Tag Huerer in 2020.

LVMH’s Powerhouse Executive Development Strategy

For luxury executives impressed with the methodology employed by LVMH in cultivating younger talent in the pipeline — and also saying “hands off” to outsiders seeking to poach LVMH talent — the moves underscore the successful execution of the LVMH strategy.

A less acknowledged part of these plans is to identify top performers who align with each other in producing 1+1=3 results; separate them in new assignments where they achieve new goals and learnings independently of each other, and then reunite them in even higher-level assignments to harness their mutual excellence with newly-acquired, independent offerings to each other, designed to advance the 1+1=3 synergy to 1+1=5.

This is textbook execution brilliance, even though LVMH rarely gets credit for their strategy in a luxury business dominated by financial types more inclined to support one superstar, rather than a conglomerate team that practically plays in their own league.

Reuniting High Bar Players

Bertrand, a veteran of Christian Dior Couture from 2016 to 2021 as managing director of the women’s, men’s and baby’s business units, will be reunited with Pietro Beccari, who helmed Dior before becoming chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton in 2023. Bertrand arrived at LVMH in 2016 as an 18-year veteran of L’Oreal.

Angeloglou, another L’Oréal executive who joined Vuitton in 2019 as strategic missions director for fashion and leather goods and later named executive vice president, will be reunited on April 15 with Delphine Arnault, who left Vuitton to become chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture in 2023.

In the fast-moving LVMH elevator, Angeloglou had a brief stop as managing director of LVMH Fashion Group in March 2024 overseeing Fendi, Kenzo, Marc Jacobs, Pucci, Stella McCartney, Patou and Off-White. Last May, he was named CEO of Fendi.

These changes open the door to a new successor at LVMH Fashion group and Fendi, paired with a new designer to replace Kim Jones,