Alexandre Ricard
Alexandre Ricard | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 12, 1972 Boulogne Billancourt, France |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, business executive |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Known for | Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard |
Alexandre Ricard (born 12 May 1972) is a French entrepreneur and the grandson of distiller and Pernod Ricard founder, Paul Ricard. On 11 February 2015, he was appointed Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard, which ranks as the world's second-largest distiller by revenue.[1] At the age of 43, he stood out as the youngest chief executive among the leading 40 companies listed on the CAC 40 index of the Paris Stock Exchange.[2]
Early life and education
Born in Boulogne Billancourt, France,[1] Ricard spent his upbringing in Andorra.[3] He completed his studies at ESCP Europe in 1995 and later obtained an MBA focusing on Finance and Entrepreneurship from the Wharton School in 2001, along with a Master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences.[4] He is proficient in French, English, Italian, and Spanish.[5]
Career
Ricard began his professional journey outside the family enterprise after graduating in 1995. He initially worked at Banque Indosuez in Milan, followed by a consulting role focused on strategy at Accenture from 1997 until 1999. Between 2001 and 2003, he concentrated on mergers and acquisitions at Morgan Stanley in London. These experiences offered him valuable external insights into the sector and Pernod Ricard’s operations.
In 2003, Ricard entered the family business within its audit division, leveraging his M&A knowledge during Pernod Ricard’s purchase of Allied Domecq. The following year, he took on the position of Finance and Administration Director at Pernod Ricard’s subsidiary Irish Distillers based in Dublin. By September 2006, he advanced to managing director of Pernod Ricard Asia Duty Free located in Hong Kong. Two years later, he assumed the role of CEO at Irish Distillers, where he managed the iconic Jameson Whiskey brand. Subsequently, he oversaw Pernod Ricard’s distribution network before being promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO on August 29, 2012, shortly after the death of then-CEO Patrick Ricard.
Following Patrick Ricard’s demise, Alexandre Ricard was designated by the Group’s Board to succeed him when CEO Pierre Pringuet retired in February 2015. Although this transition had originally been planned for the November 2012 shareholders meeting, it was expedited due to unforeseen events. During this interim period, Ricard collaborated closely with Pringuet on strategic company initiatives. He officially took over as Chairman and CEO in February 2015.
Additional roles
- Member of the Board of Trustees at the Brookings Institution
- Serving on the board of L'Oréal since 2021
Private life
Ricard is married and has three children.
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedft2015 - ↑ "Retail Detail.eu, February 13, 2015".
- ↑ Hancock, Ciaran (25 September 2015). "Irish whiskey connoisseur takes work home with him". The Irish Times.
- ↑ Biography - A. Ricard, Bloomberg
- ↑ "The just-drinks Interview - Alexandre Ricard, Pernod Ricard's deputy CEO & COO". www.just-drinks.com. May 30, 2013.