Nicolas Bos was born in Paris in 1971. He studied at the ESSEC business school, and has said he was drawn to companies that mixed business with culture; in his entrance interview he used the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain as an example of the kind of place he wanted to work.
He joined Richemont in 1992 at that foundation, and spent the next decade between the Fondation Cartier and Cartier itself, coordinating the company's partnerships in the arts. In 2000, soon after Richemont took over Van Cleef & Arpels, he moved to the loss-making Paris jeweller as international marketing director, helping to turn it round. His remit grew from marketing and communications to product development, the boutique concept and international network, and watchmaking. In 2009 he became vice-president and creative director, and in 2010 he also became president of Van Cleef & Arpels for the Americas.
On 1 January 2013 he became global president and chief executive, keeping the creative role. Under him the house's sales grew strongly; HSBC estimated they more than doubled in five years. It opened boutiques in Australia (Collins Street, Melbourne, 2016; Castlereagh Street, Sydney, 2017; Chadstone, 2018) and New Zealand (2022), and redesigned its New York flagship in 2013. He also oversaw Buccellati from September 2019 and Richemont's Creative Academy from 2021, sat on Richemont's board and senior executive committee from 2017 to 2021, and has curated jewellery exhibitions, including for the Museo del Gioiello in Vicenza.
Johann Rupert has said Bos first turned down the chance to run the group because he was enjoying growing Van Cleef & Arpels. In May 2024 Richemont re-established the role of group chief executive and appointed him from 1 June 2024, with Jérôme Lambert becoming chief operating officer. He rejoined the board in September 2024, and that month Catherine Rénier succeeded him at Van Cleef & Arpels.