FRANCE. Patrick Choël, president of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s fragrances and cosmetics division, is set to retire on 1 March, after eight years with the group. He began his tenure at LVMH as president and CEO of Parfums Christian Dior, a position he held for some eighteen months before being appointed to his current role.
Choël, who boasts close to forty years in the beauty business, will continue to play a supporting role at LVMH, as an adviser to its chairman Bernard Arnault. He will also do some consulting work for other as yet unspecified companies.
A successor to Choël has yet to be named; however, the fragrances and cosmetics division, which includes Parfums Christian Dior, Parfums Kenzo, Guerlain and Parfums Givenchy will be restructured following his departure.
Consequently, brand chiefs will no longer report directly to one person on all business matters. Instead, Parfums Christian Dior president and CEO Claude Martinez will oversee brand synergies such as R&D and purchasing. He will report directly to Arnault, while the other brand chiefs will report to LVMH group managing director Antonio Bolloni.
