Dive Brief:
- Lacoste has named Philippe Gautier as executive vice president, global finance, per a Monday LinkedIn post from the company.
- Philippe Gautier most recently served as group CFO and chief operating officer at Waldencast. He previously held various CFO roles at Kering after joining the company in 2003 to serve as CFO and group treasurer of e-commerce apparel and housewares distributor Redcats, per his LinkedIn.
- Gautier will take over from Denis Lamoureux, who has held the role since 2017, and who has been with Lacoste holding company Maus Frères SA since 2008, per his LinkedIn page.
Dive Insight:
Gautier’s background in the fashion space will be a benefit to Lacoste as it continues to work on its brand building.
Gautier was COO and CFO at Puma from 2009 to 2014 while it was still majority owned by Kering, and spent just over a year at Sergio Rossi, where he oversaw Kering’s sale of that brand to the Italian Private Equity in August 2015. He also spent five years at SMCP, which is the holding company for fashion brands including Sandro and Maje. During his tenure there, he oversaw the firm’s 2017 IPO on Euronext, per his LinkedIn.
"I am delighted with the arrival of Philippe Gautier at the financial management, and I am convinced that he will be a major asset for our House,” Thierry Guibert, CEO of Lacoste, said in the company’s LinkedIn statement. “Lacoste can rely on his in-depth knowledge of the fashion and lifestyle sectors, his significant international experience, and his strong skills in implementing major projects, particularly in supply chain and IT."
He arrives at Lacoste as the brand continues to expand its market reach in the tennis and lifestyle space through brand collaborations and partnerships, many of which began in 2023.
In April, Lacoste built on an already established product placement deal with streaming service Netflix by debuting a casual collection that featured tracksuits and sweatshirts with names such as “Stranger Things,” “Bridgerton,” and “Lupin.” Then in May, Lacoste announced a 22-piece collaboration with preppy influencer brand Sporty & Rich. In August, Lacoste partnered with activewear retailer Bandier on a women’s line, although that store began to seek a buyer for its IP and assets later in the year as an alternative to bankruptcy.
Over the summer, Lacoste also launched a virtual store offering special perks to Lacoste NFT holders.
Maus Frères bought Lacoste in 2012, and the family-run Switzerland-based company also owns Gant and the Kooples.
