Kering today announced the appointment of Pierre Houlès as Chief Digital, AI and IT Officer, effective immediately, thus joining Kering’s Executive Committee. Pierre Houlès will report to Jean-Marc Duplaix, Group Chief Operating Officer, and Luca de Meo, Chief Executive Officer.
De Meo, who as we know before joining Kering last September was chief executive officer of French automotive giant Renault Group, has again chosen a former automotive colleague as he seeks to streamline management functions in an effort to revive the long-stressed French luxury group.
In fact, Houlès comes from Renault, where he has worked since 2016, leading the automaker’s digital transformation. He was appointed managing director of Renault Digital in 2019 and deputy chief information officer of the group. In parallel, he also served as technical director for the Mobilize and Dacia brands. Houlès’ goals include consolidating the Group’s digital strategy and accelerating the transformation of the technology architecture to effectively support Kering’s operational and technological ambitions. The new Chief Digital will help build a model that fully integrates innovation to improve the performance and desirability of the Maisons.
As the group itself states via press release, “Pierre Houlès’ experience in large-scale transformations, complex systems integration and the application of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, will be instrumental in accelerating the development of a more integrated, innovative and forward-looking Group.”
[📷 Courtesy of Kering]
