Franco-Dutch shopping centre specialist Unibail-Rodamco’s chief operating officer, Christophe Cuvillier, will replace Guillaume Poitrinal as the group’s chief executive on 25 April.
Unibail said in a note that Cuvillier was suggested as a replacement to the firm’s supervisory board by Poitrinal as he resigned from his position.
“The time is right to hand over the reins,” said Poitrinal, who has worked with Unibail for the past 18 years and led the group for eight.
“I recruited Christophe Cuvillier two years ago with the idea that some day he would succeed me. His outstanding performance as chief operating officer gave me the time to pave the way for his appointment.”
Poitrinal led Unibail’s merger with Dutch counterpart Rodamco six years ago.
“His skilful management of the 2007 merger with Rodamco Europe has made Unibail-Rodamco the market leader in Europe and number three worldwide. We are now listed on both the CAC 40 and AEX indices,” said supervisory board chairman Robert ter Haar.
“He has found an excellent successor and leaves a very strong management team. The supervisory board expresses its great confidence in Christophe Cuvillier and the management board.”
Before he joined Unibail-Rodamco, Cuvillier worked with the PPR Group in various positions, including that of managing director from 2004 to 2005. He later became chairman and chief executive of electronics retailer Fnac and chief executive of Conforama. He started his career as a senior manager within the luxury product division of French cosmetics brand L’Oréal.
Along with Cuvillier’s new appointment, Unibail-Rodamco will also promote its current managing director of retail and offices in France, Jean-Marie Tritant, as chief operating officer and member of the management board. Tritant joined Unibail in 1997 as a project manager and later served as asset manager, head of asset management and director of retail in France.
