Jean-Louis Dumas was a French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 businessman who served as the chairman of the Hermès

Hermès

Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...

 group from 1978 until 2006. He also served as the company's artistic director

Artistic director

An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...

. Dumas is credited with turning Hermès into a global luxury brand during his tenure as chairman.

Dumas' family founded Hermès in 1837. He turned Hermes into a global brand after taking in the chairmanship in 1978, adding interests in Jean-Paul Gaultier

Jean-Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....

 and the Leica

Leica

Leica Camera AG, a German optics company, produces Leica cameras. The predecessor of the company, formerly known as Ernst Leitz GmbH, is now three companies: Leica Camera AG, Leica Geosystems AG, and Leica Microsystems AG, producing cameras, geosurvey equipment, and microscopes, respectively...

 camera maker to the company.

Jean Louis-Dumas retired as the chairman and artistic director of Hermès in January 2006 due to declining health. He died in Paris, France, on 1 May 2010, at the age of 72.