Louis Vuitton has appointed Carole Bildé its new senior vice president, image and communication, effective Tuesday, WWD has learned.
Bildé is joining from Champagne house Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, where she is chief marketing and communication officer.
Veuve Clicquot, like Vuitton, is part of French luxury giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which has a penchant for grooming and promoting talents from within.
Bildé’s appoint was revealed via an internal memo issued Wednesday by Damien Bertrand, who also starts on Tuesday as Vuitton’s new deputy chief executive officer. Bertrand has been CEO of Loro Piana in Milan for the past three years after working at Christian Dior Couture from 2016 to 2021 under Pietro Beccari, who became chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton in 2023.
Bildé will report to Bertrand and succeed Blake Harrop, who “will be taking on new responsibilities within the group,” according to the memo.
His next move could not immediately be learned.
“I would like to thank Blake. He actively participated in launching new strategic partnerships that strengthened the house’s influence. I wish him every success in his new role,” Beccari commented.
Harrop joined Vuitton a little more than a year ago from Amsterdam advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy, where he had been president.
According to Vuitton, Bildé’s mission is to “lead the strategy related to image and communication, with the ambition of amplifying the house’s influence and further asserting its position as a leader in the world of luxury, relying on the expertise of her dedicated teams.”
She brings to the task more than 25 years in communication agencies and luxury brands, including Ogilvy & Mather, BETC and Chloé, her LinkedIn profile shows.
Vuitton lauded her tenure at Veuve Clicquot, where she “brilliantly orchestrated brand and communication strategy, while driving marketing innovation to serve the cultural identity of the maison. Her work significantly strengthened Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin’s global visibility and distinctive voice through strategic campaigns and initiatives blending heritage and modernity.”
In tandem with Bildé’s appointment, Matteo Golinelli and the visual merchandising teams will report directly to Betrand, according to the memo.