Fiscal year 2016/17 Pernod Ricard executive appointments

As usual at the start of every new fiscal year, Pernod Ricard announces the following executive appointments as part of its policy of internal promotion and mobility. In addition to the Group's earlier communication on 16th June, the movements below will take place at Market and HQ/Region level.

1. MARKET COMPANIES

The following moves will take effect as of 1st September 2016:

Laurent Pillet, currently Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Sub-Saharan Africa, will become Managing Director of Pernod Ricard UK, reporting to Christian Porta, Chairman & CEO of Pernod Ricard EMEA & LATAM, replacing Denis O'Flynn, who has decided to leave the Group. Laurent will be a member of the EMEA & LATAM Regional Executive Committee (Comité Exécutif Regional - CER).

Denis O'Flynn joined Pernod Ricard at Irish Distillers in 2000 from Guinness Ireland and held a number of Management positions in Operations, Human Resources, and Sales to become Managing Director of Pernod Ricard UK in 2011. His entrepreneurial style and vast knowledge of the industry allowed the company to go through a significant and successful transformation in a complex and competitive market.

Paul-Robert Bouhier, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Singapore-Indochina-Thailand, will take over as Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Sub-Saharan Africa, replacing Laurent Pillet. Paul-Robert will become a member of the EMEA & LATAM CER, reporting to Christian Porta, Chairman & CEO.

Cedric Retailleau, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Italia and Pernod Ricard Southern Europe, will succeed Paul-Robert Bouhier as Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Singapore-Thailand-Cambodia-Emerging markets. Cédric will report to Philippe Guettat, Chairman & CEO of Pernod Ricard Asia, also becoming a member of the Asian Executive Committee (AEC).

Albena Trifonova, Pernod Ricard EMEA Business Development Director, will replace Cedric Retailleau as Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Italia and Pernod Ricard Southern Europe. She will be replaced by Christophe Lemarié, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Hellas. Both Albena and Christophe will report to Christian Porta and will be members of the EMEA & LATAM CER. 

Reporting to Albena Trifonova, the new Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Hellaswill be Cyril Claquin, currently Marketing Director of Pernod Ricard Rouss and Pernod Ricard Eastern Europe, who will be replaced by Paul-André Vacheron, Director of Strategic Planning at Pernod Ricard Rouss. Paul-André will report to Philippe Coutin, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Rouss and Pernod Ricard Eastern Europe, and will be a member of the Executive Team.

Eric Geffray, Pernod Ricard EMEA Business Development Projects Director, will becomeManaging Director of Pernod Ricard Norway, reporting to Fabrice Audan, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Sweden and Pernod Ricard Northern Europe, and will be a member of the Executive Team.

Michael Merolli, the current Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Norway, is heading to Asia to become Marketing Director of Pernod Ricard China, and will be reporting in the Executive Team to Jean-Etienne Gourgues, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard China.

Pernod Ricard also welcomes a new executive, joining from external company: with effect 18th July, Yuan Meng, is succeeding Angel Li as Human Resources Vice President of Pernod Ricard China, reporting to Jean-Etienne Gourgues, Managing Director. Yuan will be a member of the Executive Team.

2. HQ & REGIONS

The following moves will take effect as of 1st July 2016:

Hélène de Tissot, currently VP Finance, Pernod Ricard Asia, will become Group Strategy and M&A Director at Pernod Ricard HQ, reporting to Gilles Bogaert, Managing Director Finance & Operations, and replacing Victor Jerez, whose evolution will be announced at a later stage.

Hélène will be replaced by Ludovic Ledru, currently Pernod Ricard Winemakers' Chief Financial Officer. Ludovic will report to Philippe Guettat, Chairman & CEO of Pernod Ricard Asia, and will become a member of the Asia Executive Committee (AEC).

Julien Proglio, Strategy and M&A Manager at Pernod Ricard HQ, is appointed CFO of Pernod Ricard Winemakers, reporting to Bruno Rain, CEO of Pernod Ricard Winemakers, and will become a member of the Pernod Ricard Winemakers Executive Team.HQ, sera nommé CFO de Pernod Ricard Winemakers. Il sera rattaché à Bruno Rain, CEO de Pernod Ricard Winemakers, et il deviendra membre du Comité de Direction de Pernod Ricard Winemakers.

Biographies

Laurent Pillet is a Sup de Co Brest Business School graduate. He started his career in Sales at French dairy giant Danone and joined the Group in 1991 as Product Manager at Cusenier. He then grew his career as Marketing Manager with Pernod, Marketing Director of Havana Club and Pernod Ricard Americas, earning his first Managing Director position at Pernod Ricard Andes in 2002. He has been in his current position since 2011.

Paul-Robert Bouhier is an HEC Business School Graduate. Having learnt the ropes of the trade at Unilever France, he joined the Group at Ricard SA as Marketing Manager in 1999. After a short spell at Orangina Pampryl as Strategic Marketing Director, he came back to Ricard SA in 2001 in the position of On-Trade National Director. Paul-Robert was then appointed Ricard SA Marketing Director in 2002 and progressed to Marketing Director of Irish Distillers in 2007. He has been in his current position since mid-2008.

Cédric Retailleau graduated from French Business School ESC Toulouse and joined the Group in 2000 as Promotions Manager at Havana Club International, becoming Marketing and Sales Director 3 years later. In 2005 he was appointed Managing Director of the GWS JV (Georgian Wines & Spirits), and became Managing Director of the Yerevan Brandy Company in Armenia in 2007. After 5 years in South America as President of the Pernod Ricard Venezuela Cluster and Pernod Ricard Mexico, he came back to Europe on his current position in July 2014.

Albena Trifonova holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Sofia, Bulgaria, a PhD in Marketing Management from the Economic University of Sofia, and an MBA from the City University of Seattle. She started her career in the industry in Marketing at Allied Domecq Bulgaria, where she became General Manager in 1999. Appointed Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Bulgaria in 2006, she has been in her current position since 2013.

Christophe Lemarié graduated in Finance and IT from ESCP Europe and started his career in the Group as Controller at Orangina International, then Management Accounting Manager at Orangina. He became Finance Director of Pernod Ricard Japan in 1995 and Business Development Director of Pernod Ricard Americas in 2000.  Having served 2 years as VP, Ready To Drink at Pernod Ricard USA between 2002 and 2004, he then started a 7-year spell in Travel Retail, progressing to President of Pernod Ricard USA Travel Retail in 2005, a job he held until he relocated to Greece in his current position in September 2011.

Cyril Claquin holds a BA in Economics and Finance and an MBA in Marketing and Advertising from Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. He started his career as Assistant Brand Manager with Henkel prior to joining the Group at Ricard SA in 1994 where he became Brand Manager in 1996. Appointed Marketing Director of Pernod Ricard Japan in 1999 he then moved on to MMPJ in 2003 as Brand Director Martell, Asia and Russia. In 2006 he became Malibu Kahlua International's (MKI) SVP Global Marketing based in New-York and has been in his current position since October 2009.

Paul-André Vacheron holds a BA in Finance from Université Paris IX Dauphine, an MBA in Finance from the City University of New York as well as IMD and INSEAD certificates in Management. He spent the first 10 years of his career with BIC, progressing from Financial Controller in the USA to Area Manager Northern Europe, and Marketing Director of the Lighter Category worldwide. In 2005 he became Marketing Director of Luxury accessories giant S.T. Dupont, transferring to Pernod Ricard Rouss in February 2012 in his current position.

Michael Merolli is an ESCP Europe Business School Graduate, started his career as Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble France, and after 3 years joined the Group as Marketing Manager, Ricard SA in 1998, becoming Brand Director one year later. In 2003, he left France to become Marketing Director of Pernod Ricard Brasil, coming back to Ricard SA as Marketing Director in 2007. Michael has been in his current position since July 2013.

Eric Geffray hods a Master's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing & Management from IGR-IAE Rennes. He started his career in 1998 as Sales Manager at Ricard SA and after one year became General Manager of Pernod Ricard Sri Lanka. He came back to Ricard SA in 2003 as Regional Director (South-West). Eric then moved to Pernod Ricard HQ in 2009 to be the Group International Modern Retail Trade Commercial Development Director, until 2013 when he was appointed Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Ukraine. After 2 years of leading the business through a very turbulent period, he took his current position at Pernod Ricard EMEA HQ in October 2015.

Hélène de Tissot, a Graduate of the ESSEC Business School, holds a Master's Degree in Law from Paris II Assas University, and is a Member of the Paris Bar. Having worked 8 years as a Senior Tax Manager at Arthur Andersen, she joined Pernod Ricard in October 2002 as Group Tax Director. She has been in her current role since September 2010.

Ludovic Ledru is an ESSEC Business School Graduate and started his career as a consultant at Arthur D. Little in France and Spain. He joined Pernod Ricard HQ as Audit and Business Development Manager in 2007, moved on to the position of CFO of Domecq Bodegas in September 2009 and progressed to his current position in October 2011.

Julien Proglio is an HEC Graduate and holds a MSc Finance from SDA Bocconi. He started his career as a consultant with Bain & Company in Paris before joining Pernod Ricard in his current role in January 2013.

Yuan MENG is a Graduate in HR Strategy and Innovation from CELSA (Université Paris IV La Sorbonne), and holds an Executive MBA from the Singapore Management University. She started her career with Danone as HR Project Manager and then Organisation & Development Manager. Yuan joined Kraft China in 2008 as National HR Manager, subsequently progressing to   Associate HR Director until 2013.  A year later, she became HR Director of Talent and Organisation Effectiveness, South East Asia, for Mondelez, a Kraft spin off, and was appointed HR Business Lead, Sales, Asia Pacific in 2015. Before joining PR China, she had become Transformation Director of Mondelez China earlier this year.