// Kingfisher hires Carrefour China CEO Thierry Garnier
// Garnier will replace Véronique Laury
// Garnier will be based at Kingfisher’s London HQ
Kingfisher has appointed a new chief executive to replace its outgoing boss Véronique Laury.
The multinational retailer, which operates B&Q and Screwfix in the UK, poached Carrefour China chief executive Thierry Garnier to join the board this autumn.
Garnier will be based at Kingfisher’s London headquarters.
He has served as Carrefour’s hypermarket director since 1997, and has also spent time as the managing director, before being executive director for Asia and chief executive of Carrefour China in 2017.
The news of the appointment follows the French retail giant’s plans to sell a controlling stake in its Chinese division to Suning.com.
Kingfisher said it hired Garnier thanks to his experience in “significant businesses”.
“Thierry is a highly talented international retailer and proven business leader, with a strong track record over many years at Carrefour,” Kingfisher chairman Andy Cosslett said.
“In what was a rigorous recruitment process, Thierry stood out for the board from a strong list of candidates due to his recognised operational know-how at a multi-national retail business, his delivery of long-term value creation, and his experience in driving leading edge digital innovation, most recently in China.”
Garnier said: “For over 20 years, I have had a great passion for retail, for retail teams, and for understanding and addressing changing customer behaviours.”
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