PARIS — Kering has appointed Pierre Houlès chief digital, AI and IT officer, in the latest shakeup of its management ranks under chief executive officer Luca de Meo.
De Meo, who prior to joining Kering last September was CEO of French car giant Renault Group, once again tapped a former colleague from the automotive industry as he seeks to streamline senior functions in his bid to turn around the ailing French luxury group.
Houlès joins from Renault, where he worked from 2016, leading the carmaker’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.
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His appointment is effective immediately. Houlès, who reports to group chief operating officer Jean Marc Duplaix, will join Kering’s executive committee.
“His mission is to strengthen the group’s digital strategy and accelerate the transformation of its technology architecture to support the operational and technological ambitions of Kering,” the group said in a statement.
It said his “expertise in large-scale transformation, the integration of complex systems and the application of emerging technologies, notably artificial intelligence, will be instrumental in accelerating the development of a more integrated, innovative and forward-looking group.”
A graduate of the School of Engineering and Computer Science, known as EPITA, and the Sorbonne Business School, Houlès began his career at information technology and consulting company Capgemini in 2004, before joining the Canal+ Group, where he was appointed chief information officer in 2012.
Houlès will join fellow car industry transfers Stéphane Noël, who was appointed Kering’s chief industrial officer, effective April 1; Thomas Cuntz, global talent development and people engagement head, and Giovanni Perosino, senior vice president, marketing, at Gucci.
De Meo is scheduled to present his strategic roadmap at a Capital Markets Day in Florence on April 16.