LVMH announced the appointment of Guillaume Motte as President and CEO of Sephora. Since June, Chris de Lapuente, who also heads LVMH's selective distribution division, has held this position. He stepped in following the unexpected resignation of Martin Brok after only two years "due to a divergence of views."
Guillaume Motte is already familiar with the Sephora business, having served as deputy CEO of LVMH Fashion Group in 2021 in a newly created role reporting to Sidney Toledano, Chairman and CEO. The LVMH division has a stable of brands that include Celine, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Loewe, Emilio Pucci, PatouKenzo, and Rossimoda.
Before that, Motte served as Sephora Europe and Middle East President, beginning March 2018. In that role, he was credited with strong brand-building and accelerating the retailer's omnichannel reach in the markets. Sephora reentered Germany after a 16-year absence under Motte's leadership, launching what was a next-generation store concept at the time.
Before joining LVMH, Motte served as CEO of French menswear retailer Celio. Before that he was Chief Executive at Dubai-based lifestyle retail company AI Tayer Trends and Managing Director at retail chain Fnac, which was part of Pinault-Printemps-Redoute at the time.
De Lapuente welcomed Motte back to Sephora. "His experiences over the past two years in LVMH Fashion Group, alongside Sidney Toledano, have broadened his prestige brand-building expertise and deepened his already extensive retail and business skills at a global level," de Lapuente said. "Guillaume is an inspiring and much-admired leader who has always personified Sephora's unique passion and culture.”
"Guillaume has the wonderful balance of being strong on retail execution and yet strategic and forward-thinking in his outlook," de Lapuente continued. "He has deep understanding of all the elements that make Sephora the world's best loved beauty community. I have no doubt he will continue to build Sephora into the extraordinary premium beauty retailer we envision. I am extremely happy that we will be working together again."
Motte's appointment comes as the beauty retailer eyes international growth, currently operating in 35 countries with more than 2,700 stores. Sephora is the only prestige beauty retailer with a global presence, but growing regional omnichannel players are increasing its competitiveness.
After acquiring British beauty e-tailer Feelunique in July 2021, Sephora has started its relaunch in the UK market, beginning with an online launch and followed by the opening of a London brick-and-mortar store in March 2023. The retailer is also focused on growing its business in China, Latin America, and Asia.
Digital transformation plans are also underway under the leadership of former Apple executive Marc Abergel, Sephora's first Chief Digital Officer. The retailer partnered with digital commerce company Commercetools in July to unify its in-store and online shopping experience while offering a more personalized user experience.
Sephora has returned to pre-pandemic levels, with industry sources estimating its revenues will surpass €10 billion in 2022.
