PARIS (Reuters) -Luxury goods group LVMH has named longtime executive Michael Burke, one of CEO Bernard Arnault's most trusted advisers, as head of LVMH Americas, the company's unit for North and South America, Arnault said in a memo to staff on Monday.
Burke, 68, has held top management positions at Dior, Fendi, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton in over 40 years working with Arnault.
His appointment comes as the luxury industry faces a deep downturn, with economic pressures and price fatigue weighing on appetite for high-end goods in China and the United States.
Hopes for a U.S. -led turnaround at the start of the year were dashed by weakening demand there, with trade tensions further clouding the outlook.
Arnault, who attended the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump in January and has met with Trump since then, has said that the European Union must soften its stance toward U.S. trade demands and negotiate a deal to avoid tariffs and protect European jobs.
Burke will report to LVMH Managing Director Stephane Bianchi, and the executives in charge of U.S. and Latin America operations will report to Burke.
(Reporting by Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Bernard Arnault is a French businessperson who has been at the helm of 10 different companies and presently holds the position of Chairman of Christian Dior SE, Chairman for Château Cheval Blanc SC, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, Co-Chairman of Groupe Arnault SE and President for Groupe Arnault SE. He is also Chairman for Fondation Louis Vuitton pour la Création and on the board of 5 other companies.
He previously held the position of Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Ferret Savinel Co., Chairman & Chief Executive Officer for Nexity SA, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer for Société Financière Agache SA and Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at Financière Agache SA.
Mr. Arnault received an undergraduate degree from Ecole Polytechnique.
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE is the world leader in luxury products. Net sales break down by family of products as follows:
- fashion and leather items (46.7%): brands such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Celine, Loewe, Kenzo, Givenchy, Fendi, Emilio Pucci, Marc Jacobs, Berluti, Loro Piana, etc.;
- watches and jewels (13%): Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Zenith, Hublot, Chaumet, Fred brands, Tiffany, etc.;
- perfumes and cosmetics products (10.1%): perfumes (Christian Dior, Guerlain, Loewe, Kenzo, Givenchy brands, etc.), makeup products (Make Up For Ever, Guerlain, Acqua di Parma, etc.), etc.;
- wines and spirits (6.6%): champagnes (Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Ruinart, Mercier, Château d'Yquem, Domaine du Clos des Lambrays, Château Cheval Blanc, Colgin Cellars, Hennessy, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Belvedere, Woodinville, Volcán de mi Tierra, Chandon, Cloudy Bay, Terrazas de los Andes brands, etc.; No. 1 worldwide), wines (Cape Mentelle, Château D'Yquem, etc.), cognacs (mainly Hennessy; No. 1 worldwide), whisky (mainly Glenmorangie), etc.;
The remaining net sales (23.6%) are from selective distribution through the Sephora, DFS, Miami Cruiseline chains and Le Bon Marché and La Samaritaine department stores.
At the end of 2025, products are marketed via a network of 6,283 outlets located throughout the world.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: France (8.3%), Europe (18%), Japan (7.9%), Asia (26.5%), the United States (25.6%) and other (13.7%).
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