The Chosen One — Jean Arnault seen as successor to LVMH watches chief
The head of LVMH’s watch division, Jean-Christophe Babin, has identified Jean Arnault, son of CEO Bernard Arnault, as his likely successor when he retires.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Babin said that he’s beginning to wind down and prepare for retirement, and that the 27 year-old Jean Arnault would be “the perfect person to take over that division.”
The role would involve overseeing the operations of huge Swiss brands within the Group, including TAG Heuer and Hublot. Jean Arnault currently oversees Louis Vuitton’s watch category and its watchmaking division La Fabrique du Temps.
Managerial stability is not an LVMH forte in recent times. Babin took over his current role from another of Bernard Arnault’s sons, Frédéric Arnault, just over a year ago. Frédéric Arnault became CEO of Loro Piana.
TAG Heuer’s CEO Antoine Pin departed in January after just 18 months in the hot seat. He himself had replaced Julien Tornare, who was only in the job for half a year in 2024 before taking the reins at Hublot, taking over from Ricardo Guadalupe.
