LVMH Names Cecile Cabanis Deputy CFO, to Succeed CFO in over a Year

The logo of LVMH is seen during the annual shareholders meeting of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in Paris, France, April 18, 2024. (Reuters)
The logo of LVMH is seen during the annual shareholders meeting of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in Paris, France, April 18, 2024. (Reuters)
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LVMH Names Cecile Cabanis Deputy CFO, to Succeed CFO in over a Year

The logo of LVMH is seen during the annual shareholders meeting of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in Paris, France, April 18, 2024. (Reuters)
The logo of LVMH is seen during the annual shareholders meeting of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in Paris, France, April 18, 2024. (Reuters)

The world's largest luxury group LVMH has recruited Cecile Cabanis as deputy finance director, part of a year-and-a-half long succession plan to replace CFO Jean-Jacques Guiony.

Cabanis, who was formerly CFO of Danone, joins from Tikehau Capital, where she has been deputy chief executive officer for the past three years.

"Succession planning for key positions is a strategic priority for the LVMH Group," the company said in a statement.

Guiony, 62, has worked at LVMH for two decades, starting out as deputy financial director in 2003 and becoming CFO the following year.

The executive oversaw the group's largest acquisitions in recent years, including jewelers Bulgari and Tiffany.

The new recruitment comes amid a number of management reshuffles in recent months, including the promotion of Stephane Bianchi.

Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, 75, has shown no signs of stepping back, even as his five children, who all hold top management positions, rise up the ranks of the sprawling luxury empire.



Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
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Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Birkin-bag maker Hermes reported a 13% rise in second-quarter sales on Thursday, demonstrating the continued appetite from wealthy shoppers for its luxury handbags, even as less affluent consumers pull back.

Sales at the French luxury group grew to 3.7 billion euros ($4.02 billion), a 13% organic sales rise that strips out currency fluctuations. The figure was in line with analyst expectations, according to a Visible Alpha consensus.

Operating profit for the first half was 3.1 billion euros, compared to a forecast from consensus provider Visible Alpha for 3.2 billion.

One of the most steady performers in the luxury goods sector -- even as economic conditions worsen -- the French group's results stand out after a string of disappointing earnings updates from peers which have raised investor concern about uncertain prospects for the sector in the coming months.

Hermes' famously classic designs and tight management of production and stock have helped reinforce the label's aura of exclusivity, and CEO Axel Dumas told reporters the company had seen "no big interruption in trends".

However, he said Hermes was seeing slightly less traffic with aspirational clients, which was impacting higher volume products like fashion accessories.