Biography
Prior to her appointment as chief executive and president of Christian Dior, Delphine Arnault, one of two heirs-apparent to her father Bernard Arnault ’s role as head of LVMH, had served as executive vice president of Louis Vuitton and deputy managing director of Christian Dior. Credited with overseeing one of the label’s most successful periods during her decade long tenure at Dior, the executive played an instrumental role in steering the growth of the leather goods and accessories businesses and in overseeing the appointment of Raf Simons as creative director, following the sudden departure of John Galliano .
Arnault joined Dior in 2001 as commercial director, following a year-long turn at the helm of business development at the John Galliano brand, and was appointed as deputy managing director in 2008, becoming second-in-command under chief executive Sidney Toledeno.
The French businesswoman began her career at McKinsey & Co in Paris, having attended EDHEC Business School in Lille and the London School of Economics. Appointed to the board of LVMH in 2003, Arnault also serves on the board of Christian Dior S.A., as well as the individual boards of Pucci, Loewe and Céline.
At Vuitton, Ms Arnault had been charged with overseeing the label’s re-positioning within the luxury market following slowing growth at LVMH’s biggest luxury brand. She was also appointed to LVMH's executive committee in January 2019.
In January 2023, Ms Arnault was appointed chief executive at Dior, succeeding Pietro Beccari . This is the biggest role yet to be held by a member of the family’s next generation even as all 5 of Bernard Arnault’s children have taken up key roles in the group.