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.



Puma Announces Cost-Cutting after 2024 Net Profit Misses Expectations

A handbag with the logo of German sports goods firm Puma is pictured in a shop after the company's annual news conference in Herzogenaurach, Germany February 20, 2014. (Reuters)
A handbag with the logo of German sports goods firm Puma is pictured in a shop after the company's annual news conference in Herzogenaurach, Germany February 20, 2014. (Reuters)
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Puma Announces Cost-Cutting after 2024 Net Profit Misses Expectations

A handbag with the logo of German sports goods firm Puma is pictured in a shop after the company's annual news conference in Herzogenaurach, Germany February 20, 2014. (Reuters)
A handbag with the logo of German sports goods firm Puma is pictured in a shop after the company's annual news conference in Herzogenaurach, Germany February 20, 2014. (Reuters)

Sportswear brand Puma announced a cost-cutting program on Wednesday after reporting 2024 net profit below the prior year's level, missing its expectations.

Net profit was 282 million euros ($294 million) for the year, compared to 305 million euros in 2023, Puma said in preliminary results released after markets closed.

"While we achieved solid sales growth in 2024 and made meaningful progress on our strategic initiatives, we are not satisfied with our profitability," said Arne Freundt, CEO of PUMA, without saying what its expectations were.

The cost-cutting program aims to get Puma back to earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margin of 8.5% by 2027. The EBIT margin for 2024 was 7.1%.

For the fourth quarter, a key shopping period, Puma reported sales grew by 9.8% in currency-adjusted terms, to 2.289 billion euros ($2.38 billion).

Over 2024 as a whole, sales were up by 4.4% in currency-adjusted terms, to 8.817 billion euros.