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Richemont’s HR director ousted from the board

Sophie Guieysse is stepping down immediately from her senior executive committee role and will not stand for re-election to the board.

Richemont group’s human resources director Sophie Guieysse is stepping down from the senior executive committee with immediate effect, and will not stand for re-election to the board of directors, the company announced this morning in a one sentence statement.

Reports last week said that Ms Guieysse had been put on gardening leave while complaints over her management style and remuneration are investigated.

Richemont issued a statement to investors on June 5 saying that it had “initiated a comprehensive review of its human resources function, which may have an impact on the composition of its senior executive committee”.

No details were revealed about whether Ms Guieysse remains employed by Richemont in another role. Her LinkedIn profile remains unchanged this morning.

Ms Guieysse has been part of a team looking to reduce costs for Richemont’s 37,000 employees in light of the current pandemic.

Sophie guieysse richemont
Sophie Guieysse.

Her task was made considerably more difficult and controversial when Richemont’s annual report for 2019-20, published in May, revealed her total remuneration rose from CHF 1.9 million to CHF 3 million (around $3 million) over the prior year.

Executive committe remuneration

According to a Bloomberg report quoting an anonymous source, Richemont has said it may make changes to its senior executive committee and the company’s top management have accepted a 20% reduction in base salary until further notice.

Cash bonuses for this year have been reduced 25% from the initially planned amount.

Total compensation for the senior executive committee in the year through March increased 36% to CHF 41.4 million Swiss francs ($43 million), including salaries and performance-related pay.

Chairman Johann Rupert’s pay, which is reportedly donated to charity, was cut in half for the current financial year but he will top up payments to the good causes he supports.

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2 Comments

  1. Quite the antithesis overall from yesterday’s responses. In a Career that stretched 44 years, as the Industry evolved and in retrospect, from what was ‘Personnel’ in U.S. Companies became ‘Human Resources’ in the European Groups as consolidation and acquisitions became the Rule in the late 20th Century. Overall, the umbrella term ‘Human Resources’ seemed a bureaucratic. over-reach of micro-management, with-in most cases, it was the Euro Managers overseeing mixed gender U.S. Teams that had the most egregious behavior in not respecting Gender differences. Contrast that with a few of the Feminine Gender, their behavior seemed to drift more towards the placement of one Gender over another, especially as the Male Employee, regardless of Contacts, Relationships, became antiquated at 55, despite digital and communications skills and success in the marketplace, ‘HR’ became an engine for Finance to drive Cost aspect of operations, regardless of Revenue being driven. This of course, is an observation, not an accusation, but from one 2nd generation in the Luxury Timekeeping Industry, happily retired, but still watching the parade.

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