Kering adds board expertise
Kering said it will nominate two new directors: Marie‑Hélène Chenut, a longtime Chanel executive, and hotel CEO Nicolas Huss, signalling a governance shift that values operational memory and hospitality thinking. The appointments read like an explicit bet on people who understand couture workflows, beauty, and experience-driven luxury rather than only headline creative names. For houses reworking how they sell worlds rather than products, those hires are a useful strategic clue. (businessoffashion.com)
Kering is adding two very different operators to its board just weeks before its May 27, 2026 annual general meeting: Marie‑Hélène Chenut, who spent about three decades at Chanel, and Laurent Kleitman, the chief executive of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. The move surfaced in reporting on April 9 and fits a year when Kering has been rebuilding leadership from the top down. (bloomberg.com, kering.com) That board matters because Kering is not a single label but the parent company behind Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, and its eyewear business. Kering says its board sets strategy and makes sure that strategy is carried out. (kering.com, kering.com) The timing is not random. Kering reported 2025 revenue of €14.675 billion, down 13 percent as reported, and recurring operating income of €1.631 billion, down 33 percent, after a long slump at Gucci pulled on the whole group. (kering.com) Gucci is still the center of gravity in that story. In the first quarter of 2025, Gucci revenue fell 25 percent on a comparable basis, and in the third quarter it was still down 14 percent on the same basis, which is why every decision around product, distribution, and client experience now carries extra weight. (kering.com, kering.com) Chenut’s background points to the inside of a luxury house rather than the stock market story around it. Public executive directories identify her as Chanel France’s haute couture director, and Bloomberg reported that she spent roughly 30 years at Chanel. (theofficialboard.com, bloomberg.com) Haute couture is the smallest part of fashion by volume and one of the hardest parts to run well. It is the workshop end of luxury, where fittings, ateliers, fabric sourcing, and handwork have to line up perfectly, so a board seat for someone from that world suggests Kering wants more judgment rooted in making and not only in marketing. (theofficialboard.com, kering.com) Kleitman brings a different skill set. Mandarin Oriental says he became group chief executive in September 2023 after senior roles at Unilever, Coty, and Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, and the hotel group has framed his job as expanding luxury hospitality and lifestyle experiences. (mandarinoriental.com, mandarinoriental.com) That matters because luxury groups now sell a full-service universe, not just a bag on a shelf. Hotels live or die on repeat guests, service rituals, room design, food, spas, and local programming, which is close to the same question fashion houses now face when they try to turn stores, beauty, travel, and events into one seamless brand world. (mandarinoriental.com, kering.com) The board seats also look like part of a broader reset already underway. Kering appointed Luca de Meo as chief executive officer, lists Francesca Bellettini as Gucci’s president and chief executive officer, and has been reorganizing around jewelry, digital, and new operating structures since early 2026. (kering.com, kering.com) So this is not a flashy celebrity hire story. It is a sign that Kering wants more boardroom advice from people who know how luxury is built behind the curtain and how it is felt by the customer at the front desk, in the fitting room, and across every touchpoint in between. (kering.com, mandarinoriental.com, bloomberg.com)
