John Hardy Names New President as CEO Becomes Chair

John Hardy has named Matthew Tepper president and day-to-day leader, as global CEO Jan-Patrick Schmitz (pictured) moves up to chairman of the board.

“We will not be appointing a CEO at this time,” Schmitz tells JCK. “John Hardy is experiencing strong momentum in the market, and with Matt at the helm of our brand, we are confident in our continued trajectory of success.”

Tepper has served as the jewelry brand’s chief marketing and customer officer since July 2023. Prior to joining John Hardy, he cofounded InTandem DAO, a membership network for startups, and was an adviser to L Catterton, the private equity fund that has owned John Hardy since 2014.

Schmitz. whose role as board chair began this month, was appointed CEO of John Hardy in mid-2023.

He wrote on LinkedIn this week: “As chairman, I’m eager to continue to focus John Hardy on our ambitious long-term strategic vision, amplify our brand presence, and ensure that our core values remain central to our mission.”

In 2022, Bloomberg reported that L Catterton was exploring a possible sale of John Hardy. L Catterton is partly owned by LVMH and the family of LVMH chair Bernard Arnault.

(Photo courtesy of John Hardy)