LVMH Shakes Up Wines and Spirits Division With New Appointments

It’s all change at the wines and spirits division of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

Jean-Jacques Guiony, the French luxury giant’s longtime chief financial officer, is to become president and CEO of the division, known as Moët Hennessy, with Alexandre Arnault joining him as deputy CEO.

Since 2021, Arnault has been executive vice president of product, communication and industrial at Tiffany & Co. in New York, ramping up the American jeweler’s profile with attention-getting campaigns, buzzy ambassadors and new product ranges like its hit Lock line.

His successor at Tiffany has yet to be named.

Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, announced the shakeup early Thursday, also appointing Charles Delapalme, previously managing director at Christian Dior Couture, as president and CEO of Hennessy. A 19-year veteran of the group who as worked in senior retail and wholesale executive roles at Louis Vuitton and Fendi, his start date was not specified.

Guiony succeeds Philippe Schaus, who was been with LVMH for 21 years in various roles. Before Moët Hennessy, Schaus helmed travel retail operator DFS Group, and he has also worked at flagship brand Louis Vuitton, including a stint as president of the brand in Europe.

According to LVMH, Schaus “has decided to begin a new chapter in his career, focusing on non-executive roles. He will, in particular, support the new team during the first half of 2025, sharing his responsibilities in the sector.”

Not only a wiz with figures, Guiony is a wine aficionado with specialist knowledge, having quietly served as chairman of Vins d’Exception at LVMH, which includes the estates Clos des Lambrays, Château d’Yquem, Château Cheval Blanc and Colgin Cellars.

Guiony added president of Paris Match earlier this year to his portfolio of titles, which also includes chairman and CEO of Samaritaine Paris.

At Hennessy, billed as the world’s largest cognac brand, Delapalme succeeds Laurent Boillot, who will remain for a transition period, with his “new responsibilities will be announced at a later date.”

The flurry of appointments underscore the French group’s deep bench of management talent, and preference to promote from within.

It also continues a tradition of management tandems between trusted LVMH veterans and Bernard Arnault’s five children, all of whom work at the luxury group.

Alexandre Arnault, who worked closely with Tiffany CEO Anthony Ledru, will team up with Guiony to improve fortunes at Moët Hennessy, applying knowledge he accrued in previous roles as ceo of German luggage firm Rimowa, and family investment arm Agache, where he focused on digital innovation and tech investments.

Arnault started his career at consultancy McKinsey & Co. in the U.S., and then at private equity firm KKR.

To be sure, the new executive team at Moët Hennessy will be faced with multiple challenges, including a slowdown in premium liquor purchases in China, and the threat of tariffs under U.S. President Elect Donald Trump.

Revenues at LVMH’s wines and spirits division slipped 7 percent in the third quarter ended Sept. 30. “Champagne was down, reflecting the ongoing normalization of post-Covid demand,” LVMH noted at the time.

LVMH also named Maud Alvarez-Pereyre as executive vice president of human resources at LVMH Group, and a member of LVMH’s executive committee.

She takes up responsibilities previously handled by Chantal Gaemperle, who recently exited the group after a 17-year tenure. Her title was executive vice president, human resources and synergies.

Alvarez-Pereyre has been LVMH’s chief people and transformation officer since last year, and has worked in HR at various LVMH divisions since 2004, starting out straight out of school as an HR intern at Parfums Christian Dior, going on to work at LVMH Perfumes and Cosmetics, Moët Hennessy and shirtmaker Pink.

In addition, Cécile Cabanis, who joined LVMH over the summer as deputy finance director and a member of the executive committee, is to succeed Guiony as chief financial officer effective Feb. 1, 2025.

Finally, Guillaume Motte, president and CEO of Sephora, is to join the LVMH executive committee on Jan. 1, 2025.

Motte has a more varied background, starting his career at McKinsey & Co. and working at electronics chain Fnac, luxury retailer Al Tayer and French fashion chains Jennyfer and Celio before joining Sephora in 2018.