Lacoste taps Rémy Cointreau Group head as CEO

French label Lacoste has named Éric Vallat as its new chief executive officer. Vallat, who succeeds Thierry Guibert, will step into his new role from September 1.

He will join the company from the Rémy Cointreau Group, where is currently wrapping up as chief executive officer. Prior to this, he had held the same position at Rémy Martin and had overseen the Fashion & Accessories division of Richemont Group.

Such roles made up just a portion of Vallat’s 30 years of experience within global groups and the fashion and luxury industries. He has also held varying leadership roles within French fashion giant LVMH, including in Louis Vuitton’s European business and Christian Dior Couture. Vallat has further led Bonpoint and J.M. Weston.

At Lacoste, Vallat has been tasked with “building on the momentum we’ve created”, while guiding the brand “into a new chapter of growth, true to its identity”, Guibert said in a press release.

New appointment comes at a time of transition for Lacoste

Guibert, who will remain in his current role as chief executive officer of MF Brands Group and Maus Frères Group, the parent company of Lacoste, said it was a “privilege” to lead Lacoste for over a decade, “supporting the profound transformation that has taken the brand into an entirely new dimension”.

Guibert noted that he has “chosen to refocus my role on leading the group”, adding that he was “pleased to entrust the reins of Lacoste to Éric Vallat, a bold leader with a recognised track record”.

Vallat’s appointment comes amid a period of transition for Lacoste, which has set out on an “aggressive” global expansion, putting a particular focus on the US market. In January 2025, Guibert told the Financial Times that the brand was aiming to increase its annual sales to four billion euros through the opening of new stores and concessions, as well as regaining control over licensing.

His comments came after a period of trialling retail markets in 2023, during which the company posted an 8 percent increase in sales to around three billion euros. Guibert thus believes the brand can maintain a growth rate of 5 to 10 percent, which could see it surpassing the four billion mark in the coming years.