At 39, Anton Rupert, son of Compagnie Financière Richemont chairman Johann Rupert, has been appointed non-executive co-vice-chairman of the Geneva-based group’s board of directors (press release). He will hold the role alongside Bram Schot, non-executive vice-chairman since 2024. Richemont, owner of Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, IWC, Montblanc, Chloé and Alaïa, posted revenue of €22.4 billion for its 2025/2026 financial year ending in late March, of which €16.3 billion came from the jewellery division alone.
A step in long-term succession planning
In a statement issued ahead of its annual general meeting in Geneva, Richemont said the appointment marks an important step in the board’s long-term succession planning. The group added that its strength has always rested on the continuity provided by close family involvement, on rigorous governance, and on an unwavering commitment to creativity and artisanal craftsmanship.
Founded in 1988 by Johann Rupert, now 76, Richemont competes with French rivals including LVMH, Kering and Hermès.
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A non-executive role close to operations
Anton Rupert‘s new position places him on the Strategic Product and Communications Committee, where he sits alongside Alain Dominique Perrin, a former Richemont chief executive. The committee oversees the group’s product creation and marketing activities to ensure consistency with each maison’s identity. According to the statement, his role will involve helping to safeguard creative and product priorities.
Although the title remains non-executive, Anton Rupert was already involved in the group’s strategic decisions as a member of the Strategic Security Committee and the Chairman’s Committee, where he works alongside Nicolas Bos, Richemont’s chief executive officer. His career has taken him through ValFleurier, the group’s in-house watch movement manufacture, and through WatchFinder, before he moved into investment funds, including those of the Rupert family in South Africa, notably Remgro Ltd.
A long-designated successor
The appointment amounts to a deepening of the skills of the man set to take over the Richemont chairmanship in the years ahead. With his two sisters having pursued other careers, Anton Rupert is his father’s designated successor within a group where Compagnie Financière Rupert, the family holding vehicle, controls 10% of the capital but just over 50% of the voting rights.
Analysis — Beyond governance mechanics, this appointment illustrates a broader trend in family-owned luxury: a transfer of power organised in successive stages, gradually bringing the designated heir onto the most sensitive committees — security, product, strategy — before any move into an executive role.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Richemont board reshuffle
Anton Rupert, 39, son of chairman Johann Rupert, named non-executive co-vice-chairman of Richemont’s board
Joins the Strategic Product and Communications Committee alongside Bram Schot
Richemont FY2025/2026 revenue: €22.4 billion, including €16.3 billion from jewellery
Rupert family holds 10% of capital but over 50% of voting rights
Richemont “A” shares fell more than 4% intraday in Zurich following the announcement
