Antoine Arnault named head of communication and image at LVMH

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Jun 4, 2018

Antoine Arnault has taken over as head of communication and image at LVMH. By appointing his son to this key position, the owner and CEO of the world's number one luxury group, Bernard Arnault, is sending a clear message: more than ever, the company is under the control of his family. 

Bernard Arnault first revealed the information to his employees on June 1st through a note relayed by Bloomberg in which he announced the promotion of his son, emphasising his responsibilities for the company's presence on social networks. The appointment has since been confirmed by the group. 
 
The CEO of LVMH, which owns 70 fashion houses including Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton, highlighted the growing interest of both the media and the public in the luxury group, explaining the company's need to develop its communication in order to better meet the needs of this increased exposure. 

Antoine Arnault, who celebrated his 41st birthday on Monday, currently leads ready-to-wear label Berluti and is also president of Loro Piana, the group's specialised high-end knitwear brand, two roles which he will continue to fulfil. 

Having passed through France's Insead business school, Antoine Arnault founded his first company at the age of 23, Domainoo, which was specialised in searching for and protecting internet domain names. He then joined LVMH's flagship brand Louis Vuitton, where he was most notably the director of communication, before taking over at Berluti in 2011. 

Over the last few years, Bernard Arnault has gradually appointed his heirs to a number of leadership positions within LVMH's galaxy of brands, setting them up to take over his empire when the time comes. 

Alongside eldest son Antoine, Delphine has been executive vice president at Louis Vuitton since 2013. Alexandre, the first of three sons that Bernard Arnault has from a second marriage, is CEO of German suitcase brand Rimowa, acquired by LVMH in 2016. His brother Frédéric was recently put in charge of Tag Heuer's "connected technology" operations, while the youngest of the three, Jean, is currently alternating between his studies and internships at the group.