SWITZERLAND. Richemont, the Swiss luxury goods group, has confirmed key new appointments in finance and operations.
Richard Lepeu, currently chief operating officer, has been appointed to succeed Jan du Plessis as group finance director of Richemont. Lepeu will formally take up his new responsibilities on Jan du Plessis’ departure on 1 May 2004 and will work together with him in the interim period to ensure a smooth transition.
This follows the recent appointment of du Plessis as non-executive chairman of British American Tobacco. In his new role, Lepeu will remain a member of the Management Board of Richemont SA and will be nominated to the Board of Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA, subject to the AGM to be held in September 2004.
Lepeu joined Cartier in 1979, having previously worked in the corporate finance sector in Paris. He was company secretary of Cartier from 1981 to 1985, director of finance and administration from 1985 to 1995 and chief executive of Cartier from 1995 to 2001. As chief operating officer of Richemont his responsibilities include the group’s distribution and shared service infrastructure.
Meanwhile Frenchman Yannick Lakhnati has been appointed chief operating officer of Richemont to assume the responsibilities currently held by Richard Lepeu. He will formally take up these duties on 1 January 2004 and will become a member of the Management Board of Richemont.
Richemont executive chairman Johann Rupert commented: “Richard will make an ideal successor to Jan du Plessis. He has been with the group for over 20 years and has an in-depth understanding of the business, having worked within Cartier and at the group level. He will benefit from the assistance of the strong team that Jan has built and from the extended handover period until Jan leaves us at the end of April. I also welcome Yannick Lakhnati to Richemont and look forward to working closely with him.”