PARIS — LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has appointed Matthieu Soudan managing director of Repossi, effective immediately.

He succeeds Anne de Vergeron, who has served as chief executive officer of the jeweler since 2020 and led LVMH’s 2015 acquisition of an initial minority stake, which grew to full ownership by 2022. She will return to her role as LVMH’s group director of business development, a position she has held for almost 12 years.

Most recently head of strategic projects at Bulgari in Rome, Soudan will be based in Paris in his new role and report to Stéphane Bianchi, group managing director of LVMH and chairman and CEO of its watches and jewelry division.

A French national, he is a graduate of the Mines ParisTech engineering school and began his career at Paris-based data analytics firm Ekimetrics.

Prior to his time at Bulgari, Soudan spent eight years at Tag Heuer. He joined the LVMH-owned watchmaker in 2017 as head of software product and design, a role that saw him help build the brand’s connected watch business, before being appointed general manager for France, Monaco and Benelux in 2022.

In a statement shared exclusively with WWD, Bianchi said he was “delighted to entrust the leadership of Repossi to Matthieu Soudan as we open a new chapter in the development of this magnificent and distinctive maison,” praising his “strong strategic vision” and “ability to execute strategies that support operational excellence and the desirability of our maisons.”

Bianchi also thanked de Vergeron “for her commitment and contribution to the development of Repossi,” noting that under her leadership the brand had “built strong foundations.”

De Vergeron oversaw the reinforcement of the jeweler’s Berbère, Antifer and Serti sur Vide signatures and the redeployment of the jeweler’s retail network in France and internationally, which included the opening of its first freestanding store on Omotesando in Tokyo and expansion in the Middle East, South Korea and the U.S.

Soudan is tasked with driving Repossi’s next phase of development in contemporary high jewelry and further strengthening its international visibility and desirability.

“His extensive experience within the watches and jewelry division, combined with his ability to bring together strategic vision and operational excellence, will be key assets in supporting the maison’s desirability, client experience and sustainable performance,” LVMH said.

LVMH’s watches and jewelry unit saw organic sales rise 11 percent in the second quarter, confirming the strength in hard luxury seen across the sector as global luxury demand stabilizes after a prolonged slowdown.