Groupe Auchan has announced the retirement of Christophe Dubrulle, who joined the company in 1965 and has been chairman of its executive board since 1996.
In response, Auchan has elected to change its governance structure from 1 July, subject to shareholder approval.
The executive board will be replaced by an executive committee, which will represent the group’s four core businesses, including hypermarkets and supermarkets.
Present general manager of Auchan France Philippe Baroukh will replace Mr Dubrulle at the helm of the group’s hypermarkets, becoming general manager of this division.
Vincent Mignot, currently director of operations, northern region, will take over Mr Baroukh’s role as general manager of Auchan France, under the chairmanship of Arnaud Mulliez.
The reorganisation legally transforms Groupe Auchan from a corporation governed by an executive board and a supervisory board to a corporation governed by a board of directors, the company clarified.
Vianney Mulliez, currently chairman of the supervisory board, will hence become the chairman of the board of directors and chairman of the executive committee.
The executive committee will consist of: Philippe Baroukh, general manager of the hypermarkets division; Patrick Bodin, director of planning and management control; Jérôme Guillemard, CEO of Banque Accord; Benoît Lheureux, CEO of Immochan and Group’s director of human resources; Xavier de Mézerac, Group’s chief financial officer; and Philippe Saudo, general manager of the supermarkets division.
Mr Dubrulle will be a member of the Group’s Board of Directors and will retain the chairmanship of E-Drive.
Mr Mulliez thanked Mr Dubrulle for “the immense talent he demonstrated in leading Groupe Auchan’s growth since 1993 and making it the world’s eleventh retailer. The force of his Vision, his convictions on the company’s vocation as a retailer, the quality of his management, and his great proximity with the management teams have been instrumental to the development of the men and women of Auchan, dedicated to satisfying our 1.7bn customers.”
He also thanked Mr Baroukh for accepting his new responsibility, highlighing “his leadership talents, his strategic vision, and his ability to take up the challenges arising from the new environment shaped by economic crisis and rapid changes in consumer behaviour.”
