LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has appointed a new president of LVMH South & Southeast Asia, which the French group considers “a dynamic and strategic region for our maisons with strong potential for future growth.”

François Kohler starts Feb. 23 and will report to Stéphane Bianchi, managing director of LVMH Group and chairman of its executive committee.

Kohler is to succeed Chris Chong, who is leaving LVMH to “pursue new career opportunities,” according to an internal announcement seen by WWD.

Kohler is charged with leveraging his retail and client expertise to further accelerate the group’s ambitions.

“I see amazing potential to continue to expand the footprint of our group and maisons in South and Southeast Asia, a very dynamic region,” Bianchi said in the announcement. “I am convinced that François Kohler, with his entrepreneurial leadership, ability to thrive in multicultural environments, along with his successful track record both at group and maison level in developing retail networks, will be a key asset to capture the best development opportunities.

“I would also like to thank Chris Chong for his valuable contribution to our group in the region. He consolidated our local presence while reinforcing synergies to accelerate and sustain our growth in South Asia,” Bianchi added.

A physics graduate of Ecole Normale Supérieure Ulm, Kohler also holds a master’s degree from HEC Paris.

He started his career at the Louvre Museum in 2004. Four years later, Kohler joined Louis Vuitton to work in the flagship Paris boutique on Avenue des Champs Elysées. He went on to hold senior retail positions in Eastern Europe, before being named director of Vuitton’s Fifth Avenue store in New York in 2016.

In 2018, Kohler moved to the head office as retail development director and in 2023 he joined Loro Piana as country manager for the Mediterranean zone and Greater France.