Today, according to Bloomberg, Chris de Lapuente, head of LVMH Group’s selective retailing division, which includes the beauty chain Sephora and Parisian department stores, is expected to leave the luxury group soon. Although the reason for the UK-born executive’s departure remains unclear, the announcement is expected this week.
De Lapuente, 61, has been with LVMH Group since his appointment as CEO of Sephora in 2011 and was promoted to CEO of LVMH’s selective retailing division in 2021. After former Sephora CEO Martin Brok left in 2022, De Lapuente continued to serve as Sephora’s CEO. At the beginning of 2023, Guillaume Motte was appointed as the new CEO of Sephora, succeeding De Lapuente.
His leadership extended beyond the beauty chain, as he was also responsible for other key LVMH retail assets such as Le Bon Marché, La Samaritaine, and DFS, a luxury travel retailer with a significant presence in Asia.
Under his leadership, Sephora achieved strong sales growth, contributing to the overperformance of LVMH’s selective retailing division last year and in the first half of this year.
According to LVMH’s latest financial report, in the first half of 2024, the selective retailing division generated €8.355 billion in revenue, a 3% increase year-on-year.
