Rémy Cointreau has concluded its search for a replacement for CEO Eric Vallat, with fragrance specialist Franck Marilly set to take the lead.
Marilly, 59, will assume the position on 25 June, following Vallat’s decision last month to step away after just over five years in post. The new CEO joins the Rémy Martin brand owner from Shiseido, where he has spent the last seven-and-a-half years heading up the Japanese company’s EMEA & global fragrances division.
Prior to joining Shiseido in 2018, initially as CEO of the division before becoming its chair in March last year, Marilly was with Chanel for 16 years, finishing off as MD of fragrance & beauty for Europe from 2010 to 2017. Previously, he was with Unilever on the cosmetics side for seven years.
“Franck Marilly has successfully navigated high-stakes environments, establishing himself as a strategist with leadership based on the ability to unite and transform,” Rémy said in today’s announcement. “He will also bring his solid experience in international management, … as well as his deep knowledge of its key markets, having lived in numerous European countries as well as in the US.”
Vallat will be retained by the group for an unspecified period “to ensure a harmonious transition”.
Marilly joins Rémy at a particularly challenging time; the group’s sales have struggled markedly over the last two fiscal years (to the end of March). In results for fiscal 2025, reported in late-April, the brand owner’s top line came in down by 18% on the corresponding period a year earlier, when sales slumped by 19.2% on fiscal 2023.
