South African director Anton Rupert became non-executive co-deputy chairman with immediate effect on 9 September 2026. He shares the role with Bram Schot and will oversee product and communications matters. Richemont calls the move part of long-term succession planning, but it does not make Rupert chief executive.

Richemont has appointed South African businessman Anton Rupert as non-executive co-deputy chairman of its board with immediate effect, formally elevating the son of chairman Johann Rupert as the luxury group develops its next generation of leadership.

The company’s announcement says Anton Rupert will serve alongside Bram Schot, who became deputy chairman in 2024. Richemont said the two directors will have separate, complementary responsibilities rather than sharing an identical brief.

Rupert will oversee matters related to the Maisons’ Strategic Product and Communications Committee. Schot, a former Audi chief executive, will handle board and committee governance, including coordination of Richemont’s committees and corporate-governance framework.

The move is notable because Richemont owns some of the world’s best-known jewellery and watch businesses, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget, IWC Schaffhausen, Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Its primary listing is in Switzerland, while its secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange keeps the company closely connected to South African investors.

Why the appointment matters

Richemont explicitly placed the appointment in a succession context. Johann Rupert described it as an important step in the board’s long-term planning and linked it to continuity, family involvement, governance and the preservation of the group’s creative identity.

That wording does not amount to a declaration that Anton Rupert will become the next chairman, and it does not appoint him chief executive. Nicolas Bos remains Richemont’s group chief executive. The new title is non-executive, meaning Rupert’s role sits at board level rather than in day-to-day operational management.

Even so, the elevation gives Anton Rupert a more prominent formal position in decisions touching products and communications across the group’s portfolio. The Wall Street Journal highlighted the immediate effect of the appointment and the division of duties between Rupert and Schot.

The Financial Times framed the move as a significant stage in the Cartier owner’s generational planning. It also noted that succession and governance have long been closely watched because the Rupert family retains voting control that is larger than its economic shareholding.