The cofounder will transition to a strategic advisory role within LVMH’s perfumes and cosmetics division
Marc Chaya will step down as president and chief executive officer of Maison Francis Kurkdjian, the fragrance house he co-founded, with his departure effective Wednesday. He will remain involved with parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton as a strategic adviser to its perfumes and cosmetics division, working alongside division CEO Véronique Courtois.
Courtois will assume the role of interim president of Maison Francis Kurkdjian, supported by international managing director Stéphane Augé, while the brand’s future leadership structure is determined. Francis Kurkdjian will continue in his role as creative director.
“Marc Chaya has profoundly shaped the maison through his vision, high standards and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Courtois. “Under his and Francis Kurkdjian’s direction, the brand has become a model of audacity and desirability.”
Chaya co-founded the brand with perfumer Francis Kurkdjian after the two met in 2004, with the aim of building a contemporary fragrance house centered on creative freedom. Since its launch, Maison Francis Kurkdjian has expanded internationally, establishing a presence across multiple markets and developing a portfolio that includes bestselling fragrances such as Baccarat Rouge 540.
“What we’ve accomplished together goes way beyond my wildest dreams,” said Chaya. “The story of the maison is giving the perfumer the ability to create freely, and bringing back the perfumer to the center of the stage.”
The brand has grown from an initial offering of 25 products and a single Paris boutique into a global player in the niche fragrance segment, supported by its integration into LVMH. Chaya described the transition as part of a longer-term succession plan developed during his tenure within the group.
“Marc has been much more than a partner — a trusted associate with whom I have built an exceptional human and creative adventure in the service of perfume,” said Kurkdjian.
Following his departure from day-to-day operations, Chaya will focus on advisory work and personal initiatives, including projects related to education. The transition marks the end of a two-decade entrepreneurial phase, as the brand moves into its next stage of development under LVMH’s structure.