AS Watson Group Appoints CEO and Deputy CEO of Marionnaud Group
AS Watson Group today announced the appointments of Kulvinder Birring as CEO of Marionnaud Group and Gabriele Betti as Deputy CEO of Marionnaud Group, subsidiaries of CK Hutchison Holdings.
Kulvinder Birring was appointed CEO of Watsons China in 2018. Before that, he had led Watsons’ operations as Managing Director in Malaysia and Indonesia. In his new role as CEO of Marionnaud Group, he will manage Marionnaud’s portfolio of over 730 O+O (offline plus online) stores across eight markets, establishing it as one of the leading luxury perfumeries and cosmetics retailers in Europe. The leadership team at Marionnaud, including Gabriele Betti and Emilio Leon, will work closely with Kulvinder Birring in his new position.
“I would like to warmly thank Kulvinder for his significant contributions to Watsons China over the past eight years. Under his leadership, he has successfully repositioned the Watsons brand as the top retailer in our category nationwide, boasting a portfolio of over 3,800 O+O stores. He has steered the organisation through a remarkable cultural transformation, fostering a scientific, collaborative, agile, and growth-oriented mindset,” said Dominic Lai, Group Managing Director of AS Watson Group and Executive Director of CK Hutchison.
“Despite the challenges of a highly competitive retail market in Mainland China, his team has shown resilience and a relentless drive for innovation, continuously enhancing the customer experience. I am looking forward to seeing him apply his experience to spearhead the growth strategy for our luxury perfumeries and cosmetics retail brand, Marionnaud, in Europe.”
Gabriele Betti, currently serving as Managing Director for Marionnaud France, Italy, and Central Europe, will be promoted to Deputy CEO of Marionnaud Group. Lai added “Gabriele has dedicated 16 years to Marionnaud, gaining experience in leading supply chain, technology, and commercial operations before assuming management roles in Italy and subsequently France, as well as overseeing operations in Romania, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia. His customer-focused management approach and dedication to placing customers and people at the core of the company have been exemplary.
“He successfully spearheaded the digital transformation, integrating O+O capabilities to enhance customer experience further. In his new capacity, Gabriele will collaborate closely with Kulvinder to facilitate progress within the Marionnaud Group.”
The appointments will take effect in April 2024.
