Major executive swaps strike Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior Couture, two houses under the LVMH umbrella.
On Wednesday, the luxury conglomerate announced that Michael Burke, who’s been the chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton for ten years, is moving into an unnamed role reporting directly to LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault. Pietro Beccari — most recently chairman and CEO at Dior — will replace him.
“[Pietro Beccari’s] leadership has accelerated the appeal and success of this iconic maison. Monsieur Dior’s values of elegance and his innovative spirit have been given fresh intensity, supported by very talented designers,” Arnault said in the statement. “I am sure Pietro will lead Louis Vuitton to the next level of success and desirability.”
Burke played a major role in developing LVMH into the luxury powerhouse it is today: Not only did he help Louis Vuitton reach new heights with the help of talent like Virgil Abloh, he also worked on the integration of Tiffany & Co. into its portfolio.
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“He has done a tremendous job developing this exceptional maison,” Arnault said in the statement. “He has extended Louis Vuitton’s lead over competitors and promoted the heritage of Louis Vuitton while anchoring it in modernity.”
As reported by Vogue Business, Dior sales quadrupled from the time Beccari became chairman and CEO in 2018 through 2022. While at the helm, he boldly hosted physical fashion shows during the pandemic, reopened its Parisian flagship boutique at 30 Montaigne, bet big on South Korean markets and invested more heavily in digital and social media.
Replacing Beccari at Dior is Delphine Arnault, Bernard’s daughter, who comes off the heels of serving as executive vice president of Louis Vuitton. (Last month, LVMH revealed that Antoine Arnault, the eldest son, would take over as chief executive of Christian Dior SE, the family’s holding company, after working as CEO of Berluti for a decade and chariman of Loro Piana. All of Arnault’s children work in the family business: Alexandre at Tiffany & Co., Frederic at Tag Heuer, Jean in Louis Vuitton’s watches division.)
The Arnault-controled conglomerate has unique positioning within the market, spanning from fashion to fine spirits. This leadership shuffle clears way for a potential tipping point amid an ever-evolving social landscape and economic pressures: The way in which this growth happens — between design, technological innovations, shopping experiences and more — will determine the direction of luxury fashion in the years ahead.
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Andrea Bossi
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