Longtime Hermes luxury group boss dies

Jean-Louis Dumas, who chaired the French luxury goods group Hermes for almost three decades until 2006, has died at the age of 72, his spokesman said on Sunday. He died on Saturday in Paris.

Dumas took over in 1978 as head of the illustrious fashion and luxury house, which was founded by his family five generations earlier, in 1837.

Under his leadership, Hermes became a global brand, turning over 1.9 billion euros in 2009, with wide-ranging interests including stakes in the prestigious German camera maker Leica or Jean-Paul Gaultier's fashion house.

Suffering from ill-health, Dumas stood down as Hermes manager and artistic director in January 2006.