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The Latest Appointments: Harry Winston, Dunhill & Audemars Piguet

Nicola Formichetti new artistic director at Diesel

Photo Courtesy of Diesel
Richemont’s chairman and founder Johann Rupert to take one year off, as Thierry Andretta exits Lanvin and Dr. Ulrich Bez prepares to step down from Aston Martin

In a string of recent executive movements at Richemont, Marty Wikstrom has resigned as chief executive of its fashion and accessories businesses, where she has served since 2009.

The announcement came as Richemont’s chairman and founder Johann Rupert announced that he will take a year off from September 2013, leaving the luxury group in the hands of recently-named joint chief executives Bernard Fornas and Richard Lepeu.

Meanwhile at Lanvin, Thierry Andretta has abruptly left as managing director after failing to agree on the French brand’s growth strategy with its controlling shareholder, Taiwanese media magnate Shaw-Lan Wang. Mr. Andretta had served at Lanvin for four-years and is credited with doubling the brand’s sales to €236 million.

Dr. Ulrich Bez has confirmed he will step down as CEO and take a more “ambassadorial” role at the luxury automaker. Dr. Bez was appointed as CEO of Aston Martin under Ford ownership, and stayed on even after Ford spun it out to private investors in 2007. He will officially retire during European summer after a successor has been announced.

Finally, Joseph Wan, the long-time group chief executive officer of Harvey Nichols, is said to be stepping down as the UK department store searches for a successor. Harvey Nichols has refused to comment, though headhunters have already been hired to find Mr. Wan’s successor, according to a separate industry source.

During the Nineties and the Aughts, Mr. Wan oversaw the brand’s expansion into catering and the store’s retail expansion into more U.K. cities, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Ireland, Indonesia and Turkey.

Xavier Nolot, CEO Americas, Audemars Piguet
Xavier Nolot as CEO of Audemars Piguet North America, where he will be responsible for all financial, operational, sales and marketing functions for the brand in North America. Nolot began his career with Audemars Piguet in 2003 and will continue to advise the Group in the development of the South American Market.

Daniela Riccardi, CEO, Baccarat
Baccarat has appointed Daniela Riccardi as CEO, effective June 3. Ms. Riccardi most recently served as CEO at Diesel, after serving 25 years at Procter & Gamble. At Baccarat, she succeeds Markus Lampe, who is leaving the position to pursue another – as-yet-unknown – opportunity.

Nicola Formichetti, Artistic Director, Diesel
Less than 48 hours after announcing his departure from Mulger, Nicola Formichetti was confirmed as the new artistic director at Diesel. In his new role, Formichetti will oversee all creative activities of the Diesel mainline, including all areas of product communication and interior design.

Fabrizio Cardinali, CEO, Dunhill
Fabrizio Cardinali will take over from Eraldo Poletto as CEO of Dunhill on June 1. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Cardinali was CEO of Lancel, which he joined from Dolce and Gabbana. Lancel’s chief operating officer, Gianni Serrazi, will act as CEO until a permanent replacement for Mr. Cardinali is named.

Charles Ray Thomas Jr., Director, Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne
The Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne has announced the appointment of Dr Charles Ray Thomas Jr. as Director of the full-time Executive MBA in Hospitality Administration (EMBA). In his new role, Dr Thomas will oversee all aspects of the EMBA programme and further develop the quality and reputation of the programme.

Pia Tonna, Head of PR, Faberge
Fabergé has announced the appointment of Pia Tonna as director of marketing and communications with immediate effect. Ms. Tonna has previously held director roles for marketing and communication at Chanel Corporation, Gemfields, Paul Smith and her own company, Piatonna.

Marco Vigano, President Russia, Gucci
Marco Vigano has been appointed president of Gucci’s operations in Russia, to oversee the development of Gucci in Russia and CIS, as the brand prepares for direct operations. Marco Vigano joins from Louis Vuitton, where he held the position of General Manager Russia & Ukraine.

Nayla Hayek, CEO, Harry Winston
Following the resignation of Frédéric de Narp, after Harry Winston’s acquisition by The Swatch Group, Nayla Hayek has been appointed CEO with immediate effect. The daughter of Swatch co-founder Nicolas Hayek and sister of CEO Nick Hayek Jr., was already chairwoman of Harry Winston, a role she took when Swatch acquired the jeweller in March 2013.

Katherine Melchior-Ray, VP Luxury Brands, Hyatt Hotels
In this newly created role, Katherine Melchior-Ray will lead the development of the brand experience and marketing strategy for Park Hyatt and Grand Hyatt Hotels. Ms. Melchior-Ray has 20 years of experience building luxury and fashion brands internationally, most recently as executive director of strategic planning at Gucci in Japan.

Daniel Kirchert, MD, Infiniti China
Nissan has appointed Daniel Kirchert as Infiniti’s managing director in China effective May 1. The former BMW executive takes over from Allen Lu, charged with expanding production and dealerships in the Chinese region, the world’s biggest auto market.

Nicolas Hieronimus, President, L’Oreal Selective Divisions
Nicolas Hieronimus has been appointed as president of all the company’s selective divisions, including luxury, active cosmetics, professional products and The Body Shop. Mr. Hieronimus has been with L’Oreal for over 20 years and launched the Garnier brand in the UK, and the L’Oreal Paris brand in Mexico.

Xavier Vey, President, Lancôme
Xavier Vey has been appointed president of New York-based Lancôme US, replacing Serge Jureidini who left in February to become president and chief executive officer of Arcade Marketing. Mr. Vey was formerly a General Manager at L’Oréal’s Luxury Division in France.

Jérôme Lambert, CEO, Montblanc
Mr Jérôme Lambert, current CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre has been appointed as CEO of Montblanc, effective July 1st 2013. Mr Lambert will remain a member of the group management committee. Mr Lutz Bethge, currently CEO of Montblanc International, will be appointed as non-executive chairman and head of supervisory board of Montblanc.

Michael Wale, President of Europe, Africa & Middle East, Starwood Hotels
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has appointed Michael Wale, a 35-year Starwood veteran who most recently served as SVP and director of operations for Western Europe, as President of Europe, Africa & Middle East (EAME). Mr. Wale succeeds Roeland Vos who served more than 30 years with the company.

Stéphane Linder, CEO, TAG Heuer
Stéphane Linder has been appointed CEO of TAG Heuer effective June 1st 2013. Mr. Linder, who is currently Vice President of Sales North America for TAG Heuer, is taking over from Jean-Christophe Babin, who has served the LVMH subsidiary since 2000 when he joined as CEO.

Marc Jacheet, President France, Tiffany & Co
This week, Tiffany & Co. appointed its new president for France and Benelux. Marc Jacheet will be responsible for the 2014 opening of the new 1000 square-metre Tiffany & Co. store on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. Before arriving at Tiffany, Marc Jacheet had held the position of head of communications at Louis Vuitton Europe and at Moët & Chandon.

Alain Bernard , CEO Americas, Van Cleef et Arpels
Van Cleef et Arpels has appointed Alain Bernard president and CEO of its Americas division, to be based in New York. Since 2010, Bernard has served as president and CEO for the Japan region. He came to Van Cleef et Arpels from fellow Richemont Group brand Cartier.

Jonathan Sinclair, COO, Vertu
Luxury mobile phone manufacturer Vertu has announced the appointment of Jonathan Sinclair as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Sinclair joins from Jimmy Choo where he has worked in the same role. He will oversee all company operations, reporting directly to chief executive officer Perry Oosting.

Sophie Doran

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