Speakers

Philippe Houzé is the Executive Chairman of the Galeries Lafayette group, a family-run company with 125 years of history in fashion, retail and commerce which owns the Galeries Lafayette, BHV/MARAIS, Galeries Lafayette Royal Quartz, Louis Pion, Mauboussin and BazarChic brands.

A graduate from INSEAD Business School, Philippe Houzé began his career with Monoprix in 1969. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Monoprix in 1982 and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1994, holding the position until November 2012. He was Co-Chairman of the Galeries Lafayette Group from 1998 to 2004 and was appointed Executive Chairman in 2005.

A renowned expertise in retail, fashion and marketing, Philippe Houzé led the transformation of Monoprix through innovation, making it a leading city-centre retailer. As Executive Chairman of the Galeries Lafayette group, he contributed in making Galeries Lafayette the leading European department store with the ambition to act as a multi-channel and innovative retail player and to promote the French “Art of Living”.

In 2014, Philippe Houzé acquired a significant stake in the world’s second food retailer, Carrefour group, on behalf of the family’s holding company, Motier. It holds today an 11.5% stake of the Group and 15.5% of the voting rights. In 2017, Philippe Houzé acquired a 51% shareholding in La Redoute, aiming to own 100% by 2021.

Philippe Houzé was named in 2015 "international retailer of the year" by the National Retail Federation (NRF), the prestigious American Association of Retail bringing together key global players in the sector.

As a committed stakeholder to French economy, Philippe Houzé has made a personal commitment to sustainable development: he has been heavily involved in the regeneration of France’s city centers while taking into consideration the Group’s environmental and social responsibilities. As outlined in his book La vie s’invente en ville, he intends to continue working on behalf of inner city areas and help build a brighter future for the next generations.

Following in the footsteps of the Group’s founders, Philippe Houzé is continuing to support contemporary art and design. He launched the Galeries Lafayette corporate Foundation in March 2018 in the heart of the Marais district in Paris, in a building renovated by Pritzker Prize Rem Koolhaas.

He is a member of the BHV’s supervisory Board and sits on the Boards of Directors of HSBC France and Carrefour Group. He also acts as Lead Director, member of the Audit Committee, Appointments Committee and Strategic Committee of the Carrefour Group.

He is also personally committed towards the student community. In 2018 he was named  Chairman of ESCP Business School. He is also a Director of INSEAD and chairs the school’s France Council.

Philippe Houzé is a member of the International Association of Department Stores (IADS), former member of the National Retail Federation, member of the Union du Grand Commerce de Centre Ville (UCV), elected member of Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP) and member of the French Association of Private Companies (AFEP). He is vice president of Alliance France Tourisme, an association of leading companies in the tourism sector.

Philippe Houzé is a Commander of France’s Legion of Honor, Knight of the “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres", Knight of the “Palmes Académiques” and also Knight of the “Mérite Agricole”.

Born in 1947, he is married with three children.