Handel: Chefwechsel bei Douglas – Franzose rückt an Konzernspitze

Frankfurt – The French manager Jean-Marc Bellaiche has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of the perfume conglomerate Douglas, replacing Sander van der Laan, the company announced on Wednesday after the stock market closed. The Supervisory Board announced that Bellaiche, who is 56 years old, will succeed Van der Laan in the role with effect from November 1, 2026, for a four-year term.

Van der Laan, who had a 36-year career in retail, decided to step down from the operational business. The change at the top was carefully prepared to ensure a smooth transition, explained Supervisory Board Chairman Henning Kreke. Van der Laan had been leading the group since October 2022 and guided the company to a public listing in 2024.

Bellaiche, on the other hand, had previously worked as a strategic advisor at Boston Consulting Group and at US luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. After stints at technology companies, he led the French department store chain Printemps from 2020 and was most recently the head of the luxury resort operator Sani/Ikos. This leadership change comes at a challenging time for the Düsseldorf-based company, which reported a loss of 2.6 million euros and a two percent drop in revenue to nearly one billion euros in the third quarter due to declining consumer spending in key European markets and intense price competition.

The company is also reviewing the structure of its brick-and-mortar stores as it shifts its focus towards online sales.