By
Bloomberg
Published
November 13, 2024
LVMH said human resources head Chantal Gaemperle is leaving after more than 17 years at the luxury group.
The French firm, in a briefly worded statement late Wednesday, said Gaemperle, 62, a member of the executive committee who was leading human resources and synergies, “is leaving the group to pursue new projects.” Her successor will be announced at a later date, LVMH said.
French online publication La Lettre reported earlier this month that Gaemperle had been suspended, after being escorted out of the firm’s Paris headquarters by security guards. The publication added that it was unclear what exactly had led to her departure. LVMH declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg about the report.
With her exit, LVMH is losing one of the few women who was part of the executive committee at the Paris-based company controlled by billionaire CEO Bernard Arnault. The other women are Christian Dior Couture CEO Delphine Arnault, the eldest child of Bernard Arnault, and Cecile Cabanis, the deputy finance director who’s set to succeed CFO Jean-Jacques Guiony. Cabanis joined LVMH earlier this year.
With more than 210,000 employees globally, Gaemperle was in charge of sourcing and recruiting business executives. Her team had also developed a program to recruit more craftsmen and women for its various business lines that span winemaking to couture.
Last month, Gaemperle was part of an event attended by Bernard Arnault and other top executives of the group which celebrated the 10th anniversary of a program to recruit artisans. She featured prominently, taking questions from journalists and speaking before a packed venue.
LVMH has been rejuvenating its executive committee with several of the older guard stepping down. It promoted Stephane Bianchi, 59, to the role of deputy CEO earlier this year, replacing Toni Belloni, 70. In September, LVMH also announced Chris de Lapuente, another member of the executive committee who headed LVMH’s selective retail unit which includes Sephora, was leaving the group to retire. The statement announcing his departure included a long quote from Arnault praising the 61-year old executive.
Arnault, 75, has seen his wealth shrink this year amid a slump in demand for luxury goods. He’s currently the fifth wealthiest person on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His fortune stood at about $164 billion as of Tuesday.
