Against a backdrop of stock market volatility and a more turbulent luxury market, Hermès and Kering have almost simultaneously replaced their investor relations managers.
Convincing investors is more than ever a priority for luxury players listed on the stock market. Against a backdrop of results that are still too often disappointing, their share prices continue to fluctuate wildly…
Two recent appointments, at Kering and Hermès, highlight the particular attention they are paying to this issue.
A former Renault employee recruited by Kering
On October 23, Kering announced the arrival of Philippine de Schonen as Director of Financial Communications, effective November 3. She replaces Claire Roblet, who after twelve years with the group has been called to new responsibilities internally.
Philippine de Schonen comes straight from the Renault group, which was headed by Luca de Meo, the new CEO of Kering.
After poaching Thomas Cuntz from the car manufacturer to appoint him Global Talent Development & People Engagement at Kering, Luca de Meo also brought in the woman who joined the Renault group in 2021, first as Director of Investor Relations, then as Head of Mergers & Acquisitions and Investor Relations.
A graduate of EDHEC Business School, Philippine de Schonen started her career at Carrefour as a financial controller before joining Areva in 2011 as Head, then Director of Investor Relations. After six years at Plastic Omnium (OP Mobility) from 2015 to 2021, she joined the Renault group.
Ensuring consistency in communications with analysts and investors
At Kering, Philippine de Schonen will report to Jean-Marc Duplaix, Chief Operating Officer, and will be responsible for “overseeing the luxury group’s financial communications,” “ensuring consistency in communications with analysts and investors,” and “supervising financial information materials.”
“We are delighted to welcome Philippine de Schonen, who will bring us her experience in a variety of sectors,” said Jean-Marc Duplaix, while expressing his “warmest thanks to Claire Roblet for her commitment and contribution over the past twelve years to developing first-rate relationships with the entire financial community.”
According to the media outlet Meet and Match, “this appointment once again illustrates the desire of Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering since September 2025, to build a close-knit team from his previous environment at Renault, combining financial rigor and strategic communication.” It also “is part of a strategic redefinition of the Kering group, which aims to restore market confidence and clarify its value creation model.”
+800% on the stock market for Hermès
A few days earlier, on October 8, Hermès also announced that Carole Dupont-Pietri would be replaced by Alexandra Boucheron as head of investor relations in November.
This is a significant challenge, given that Dupont-Pietri, who was responsible for investor relations at the luxury leather goods company for eleven years, helped the company’s stock market value increase by more than 800%.
Hermès is now the second-largest French company and the eighth-largest in Europe in terms of market capitalization.
Of course, Carole Dupont-Pietri’s talents as head of communications with analysts and investors were helped by the financial performance of Hermès, considered a safe bet even in times of crisis and particularly resilient since Covid.
Nevertheless, Alexandra Boucheron, whose arrival was announced by Bloomberg and confirmed by Hermès, is starting her mission with the bar set high.
An impressive resume for a new challenge
However, the newcomer has the right resume to take on the challenge.
A graduate of ESSEC Business School, she also completed training programs at Sciences Po and the University of Cambridge. She began her career from 2005 to 2009 at Merrill Lynch as a senior analyst in the banking division.
She then spent a year as a senior consultant at Quilvest Capital Partners before joining Saint Gobain for two and a half years as head of investor relations.
From May 2014 to February 2019, and then from that date until September 2023, she held the position of director of financial communications and investor relations at two French companies, respectively: the listed industrial group Tarkett, a specialist in wall coverings and sports surfaces, and Verallia, the European leader in packaging for beverages and food products.
Since September 2023, Alexandra Boucheron has been Vice President of Investor Relations at the Thales Group, a global player in high technology for defense, cybersecurity, space, and avionics.
Hazing
At the same time, she was secretary general and administrator from May 2015 to October 2024, then president since June 2024, of Cliff, the leading French association for investor relations professionals.
As a kind of initiation for her upcoming arrival at Hermès, Alexandra Boucheron may not necessarily appreciate the recent recommendations from Morgan Stanley, which raised its ratings for Kering and LVMH in early October, praising the creative shockwaves caused by the arrival of several new artistic directors. The American bank, on the other hand, downgraded Hermès to “neutral”, along with Prada SpA. Its analysts felt that they would “benefit less, or could even be negatively affected by increased competition.”
Commenting on Morgan Stanley’s position, the specialist media outlet Zonebourse pointed out that Hermès was “the only stock that has largely escaped the slowdown affecting the sector in recent years.”
Read also > Morgan Stanley gives Kering and LVMH a boost on the stock market
Featured photo: Montage with, from left to right, Philippine de Schonen (Kering) and Alexandra Boucheron (Hermès) © Renault – © Hermès
