Following the departure of Henri Giscard d'Estaing, Club Med has appointed Stéphane Maquaire to replace him as president and CEO of Club Med Holding, effective immediately. Maquaire joins Club Med from Carrefour, where he served as executive director for Carrefour Brazil and Latin America.
Based on the recommendation of d’Estaing, Club Med’s rigorous succession and evaluation process identified Maquaire, a French national, as the qualified among the candidates considered to lead the company into a new phase of profitable growth. Maquaire will lead Club Med Holding from its headquarters in Paris.
Following the appointment, Maquaire met with the three incumbent deputy CEOs to examine operational priorities. As President and CEO, Maquaire will build on the current strategy while guiding the company to seize new opportunities in a fast-evolving travel and hospitality landscape.
“In Stéphane, we have chosen a leader with deep experience in the consumer sector and a remarkable international track record," Xiaoliang Xu, co-CEO of Fosun International, chairman of Fosun Tourism Group and chairman of Club Med Holding, said in a statement. "He is ideally positioned to accelerate Club Med’s momentum and write the next chapter of this extraordinary story.
"We are deeply grateful to Henri Giscard d’Estaing for his exceptional contributions to Club Med over the years. His leadership and strategic vision have shaped a winning model that embodies the very best of French hospitality and lifestyle on the global stage.”
“Club Med is a global icon, not only for its excellence, but for the joy and belonging it has brought to generations of travelers, thanks to the unparalleled passion and dedication of its teams around the world," Maquaire said. "Above all, it is a culture, a spirit, a way of living and sharing. I am honored by the opportunity to lead this unique company into its next chapter of success, building on Henri Giscard d’Estaing’s remarkable legacy.
"I firmly believe that Club Med’s values — its French roots, its spirit of freedom, and its deep sense of kindness, inclusion, and care for people — are more relevant than ever. I’m looking forward immensely to meeting my new teams, all the G.Os and G.Es, alongside our G.Ms: to listening, learning, growing together — and shaping the future of Club Med, as one team.”
As part of its continued commitment to international governance and diversity, two new members will be added to the board: Philippe Heim and Takuya Yamada. Heim is an executive with extensive management experience in France and internationally, including key leadership roles at Société Générale, as CFO and deputy CEO, and after as chairman of the executive board of La Banque Postale, while Yamada, chairman of IDERA Capital, the asset manager of Club Med’s two resorts in Japan, has collaborated closely with Club Med in recent years.