Richemont Strengthens Dunhill with Former Cartier Exec as CEO

Dunhill strengthens its management with an in-house executive. The British men’s fashion house, owned by Swiss group Richemont, has appointed Matthew Ives as its new CEO. He will join the company effective October 13th.

He joins from De Beers, where he has served as senior vice president and chief commercial officer for the past three years. Previously, Ives worked for more than a decade at Richemont, holding positions of responsibility in the group’s jewelers such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, in addition to leading retail projects in the company’s portfolio.

At Dunhill, he will report directly to Philippe Fortunato, CEO of Richemont’s fashion and accessories maisons. “Matthew’s deep knowledge of both the luxury industry and Richemont will be invaluable as he leads Dunhill in its next phase,“ Fortunato said in statements reported by WWD.

Ives replaces Andrew Holmes, Dunhill’s chief financial and operating officer, who had served as interim CEO since the beginning of 2024. The position had become vacant following Laurent Malecaze’s move to Chloé, another of the group’s fashion brands, where he was appointed CEO.

Richemont has appointed a former De Beers as new CEO of the Dunhill brand

During his brief stint at Dunhill, Malecaze appointed designer Simon Holloway as creative director, strengthened the house’s positioning and adjusted its operating model. Now, Ives takes the reins at a time of international expansion, following the opening of a store in Dubai Mall, a corner in Harrods and with plans to open a new boutique on Bond Street in 2026.

A graduate of Cambridge University, the executive began his career in consulting at McKinsey & Co. before making the leap to luxury at Richemont.

The Swiss group is one of the giants of luxury on a global scale and is especially positioned in jewelry and watchmaking with brands such as Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, Buccellati or IWC, among others. Its fashion and accessories division integrates prestigious names such as Alaïa, Montblanc, Gianvito Rossi, Delvaux, Serapian and Purdey, in addition to Dunhill itself.

In the first quarter of the fiscal year (ended June 30), Richemont achieved sales of €5,412 million, which represents a 3% growth compared to the same period of the previous year. The group, the world’s second-largest luxury watchmaker, offset a 10% drop in its watch division with a 7% rise in jewelry, driven by brands such as Cartier, Buccellati and Van Cleef & Arpels. Europe and the Americas were its main drivers, while Asia recorded declines, especially in Japan and China.