Alain Dominique Perrin, ceo of Richemont (Zurich, Switzerland), has announced he will retire in October, on his 61st birthday.
Richemont supervises a number of luxury brands, including Cartier jewelry, Dunhill luggage, Montblanc pens, Piaget watches and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry. Perrin, who joined Cartier in 1969 and became ceo of the parent company in 1999, has been known as 'Mr. Cartier' for his long-time efforts to build the luxury brand.
No successor has been named, though chairman Johann Rupert — with whom Perrin has been said to be clashing — said there was plenty of time to choose a successor before October.
One of Perrin's initiatives was to open specialty shops in the U.S. for the Dunhill and Lancel luggage and leather goods brands. But the stores have struggled and the costs of the projects have eroded Richemont's profits, leading to rumors of a rift with Rupert.