Hermès, the French luxury brand, has named Anne-Sarah Panhard as its new Managing Director of Perfumes and Beauty. Panhard has been with Hermès since 2011, and her new role highlights her strong track record and deep understanding of the company. She takes over the position from Agnès de Villers, who held the role for nearly a decade and has now moved on to lead Hermès’ Maroquinerie-Sellier division.
Before this new role, Panhard held several key positions at Hermès:
- She was Managing Director of Hermès France, where she managed 28 stores, 700 employees, and a business area that makes up 14% of the company’s total revenue.
- Earlier, she was General Manager of the famous Faubourg Saint-Honoré flagship in Paris, which is known as one of the world’s top luxury stores.
- Since 2018, she has led Hermès Maison, where she managed the creation and growth of home collections like decorative objects, furniture, tableware, and textiles. She also managed Puiforcat, Hermès’ luxury tableware brand.
Her experience makes her one of the most skilled and adaptable leaders at Hermès.
A Promotion During a Challenging Year
Panhard’s new role comes soon after Hermès announced its financial results for the first nine months of 2025. The company saw a 6% drop in perfume and beauty sales, reaching €367 million. Her leadership will be important as Hermès aims to improve this part of the business.
Hermès did not issue an official press release, but the company confirmed her new role to FashionNetwork.com.
A Strong Global Background in Luxury Retail
Before joining Hermès, Panhard gained broad international experience:
- She worked as Country Manager for Saks Fifth Avenue in Bahrain for three years.
- She was Country Manager UK for Salvatore Ferragamo, where she worked in one of the world’s leading luxury markets.
- She also spent two years at Harrods in London as Divisional Sales Manager for fashion accessories and fine jewelry, a department that made up about 20% of the store’s revenue.
Panhard holds degrees from two leading business schools: Stanford University in California and INSEAD in France.
As Panhard takes on her new role, she is expected to bring new ideas and clear direction to Hermès’ Perfumes and Beauty division. Her strong retail background and experience at Hermès make her well-suited to lead the brand’s next stage of growth.
Her promotion shows Hermès’ focus on developing talent from within and keeping strong leadership across its different business areas.
