Paris-based Club Med, a pioneer in all-inclusive resorts, has appointed Stéphane Maquaire as the company’s new president and CEO.
Maquaire succeeds Henri Giscard d’Estaing, who led the company for the past two decades.
“In Stéphane, we have chosen a leader with deep experience in the consumer sector and a remarkable international track record. He is ideally positioned to accelerate Club Med’s momentum and write the next chapter of this extraordinary story,” said Xiaoliang Xu, co-CEO of Fosun International, chairman of Fosun Tourism Group and chairman of Club Med Holding. China’s Fosun International acquired Club Med in 2013.
“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.”
Maquaire brings extensive leadership experience with global French companies to his new role, joining the company from Carrefour, where he served as executive director for Carrefour Brazil and Latin America.
He began his career at the Chicago-based accounting firm Arthur Andersen, before joining Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and later French retail chain Monoprix. After that, he went on to lead Vivarte in France, then Swiss retailer Manor, before joining Carrefour in 2019.
“Club Med is a global icon, not only for its excellence, but for the joy and belonging it has brought to generations of travellers, thanks to the unparalleled passion and dedication of its teams around the world. Above all, it is a culture, a spirit, a way of living and sharing. I am honoured by the opportunity to lead this unique company into its next chapter of success, building on Henri Giscard d’Estaing’s remarkable legacy,” commented Maquaire. “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 president and CEO, Stéphane Maquaire will build on the current strategy while guiding the company to seize new opportunities in a fast-evolving travel and hospitality landscape.
In addition, besides Stéphane Maquaire, two new members will be added to Club Med’s board: Philippe Heim and Takuya Yamada. Heim has held leadership roles at Société Générale, as CFO and deputy CEO, and as chairman of the executive board of La Banque Postale. Yamada is the chairman of IDERA Capital, the asset manager of Club Med’s two resorts in Japan, and has collaborated closely with Club Med in recent years.
