CIO Francois-Xavier Briard announces his departure from LVMH Fashion Group North America

Francois-Xavier Briard has left LVMH Fashion Group North America where he served as CIO.

In a LinkedIn post, in which he did not reveal his next port of call, he said: "I want to say thank you to the incredibly talented teams across LVMH Fashion Group North America. What I’ll remember most is the humility, creativity, hard work, and dedication I saw every day, across functions, across the region, and across the Maisons."

He added: "I’m proud of what we achieved together: making technology work better for our corporate teams and store employees, improving the day-to-day experience in our stores, and continuing to transform IT while simplifying and managing costs thoughtfully. My next chapter starts next Monday. More to come soon."

AI

Enterprise AI in action, a new ten-part article and soundbyte series from Economist Impact and supported by Infosys, explores how leading firms and thinkers are turning AI ambitions into tangible outcomes. 

The first three articles, now available, feature insights from Stanford University's Erik Brynjolfsson and leaders from LVMH and Ikea, addressing how business leaders should adapt skills, processes, and incentives for the AI era.

Ikea established clear boundaries - no AI in hiring or surveillance - then prioritised AI projects through its “democratic design” principles of sustainability, quality and affordability.

AI literacy receives the same priority as mandatory health and safety training, with the firm upskilling 70,000 employees while empowering local teams to adapt central tools to their needs. The results are tangible: from forecasting systems that keep their famous meatballs in stock to room planners that save hours of manual work. With clear priorities and empowered staff, Ikea shows how meaningful AI adoption can self-assemble.

LVMH, meanwhile, uses AI to extend its fundamental strengths - craftsmanship, attentive service, and years of client data - without losing the atelier's signature touch.

In LVMH stores, AI reduces routine work, giving advisers more time with clients, while in creative studios, algorithms inform the creative process, leaving final design choices to human designers. The lesson here is practical: use AI to sharpen your edge, not reinvent it.

“Everyone knows that artificial intelligence will reshape their business. The task is to steer between hype and despair, and to turn the technology into real gains,” says Eddie Millev, Lead Researcher for Enterprise AI in Action at Economist Impact.

“Our research finds that the surest way for firms to prepare for AI is to get the basics right: empower workers, redesign processes and measure what matters.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.