Alain Perrin joined Cartier as a commercial attache in 1969, shortly after graduating from the prestigious business college "Ecole des Cadres & Affaires Economiques". By 1976 he had become President of Les Must de Cartier, the diverse marketing arm begun by his predecessor Robert Hocq. Under Perrin's guidance, 'Les Must' transformed Cartier, the retail and royal jeweller into a company with over 7,000 distributors worldwide whose raison d'etre is international marketing, whilst preserving the prestige and Cartier tradition. Following the merger of Cartier, the jeweller and 'Les Must' in 1981, Perrin became President of Cartier International. In 1984 he inaugurated the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, dedicated to honour, encourage and defend the creative spirit and to perpetuate the name Cartier through its commitment to art and to history.

Perrin has ferocious enthusiasm and is highly flexible within the Cartier framework; a motivator who has built ' Les Must ' on PR and a good relationship with the press. Perrin doesn't quite work all the time, and when he is not, he retires to his 14th century chateau in Carhors, a conservative two hours drive from Paris where he delights in making his own wine.