Fairytale Future

Catherine Renier, CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, on returning to Paris and the identity of the storied jeweller.

- Wei-Yu Wang

IN 2024, CATHERINE RENIER was appointed president and CEO of the Parisian jeweller and watchmaker, Van Cleef & Arpels. She joins the brand as a seasoned veteran; her first stint was in 2003, working in various globetrotting capacities over the next 15 or so years. This is not her first appointment as a CEO. In 2018, she moved to the Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre and headed it for six years.

There is a lot of overlap between the two companies—both are in the business of fine craftsmanship and precious objects—but, in many ways, they could not be more different. Jaeger-LeCoultre is just about as traditional a Swiss watchmaker as it gets; its manufacture secreted away in Vallée de Joux, an hour’s drive from Geneva past breathtaking lakeside views and through winding mountain roads, and precision and performance are its foremost guiding principles. Meanwhile, Van Cleef & Arpels was born into the fashionable vibrancy that is the lifeblood of Paris, and has built itself on romance, flair, and whimsical artistry.