Balenciaga puts Daphné Cousineau in charge of Europe

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Apr 24, 2017

Balenciaga is bolstering its senior management team in order to boost its international business. The Kering-owned Parisian luxury label has stated in a press release that it has "strengthened its executive committee by inducting four new members, all of them reporting directly to CEO Cédric Charbit."

The luxury label has put Daphné Cousineau in charge of Europe, poaching her from Lanvin, where Cousineau was in charge of global sales since 2014. In her new position as President Europe, Cousineau, 50, a law graduate from the University of Montreal, "will be responsible for Balenciaga's retail, wholesale and franchising business in the EMEA region."

Cousineau cut her corporate teeth working at McKinsey for six years, then at Vivendi, and eventually entered the luxury goods industry in 2005, when she took charge of the wholesale channel for Céline. In 2007 she joined Valentino, where she worked for seven years: first as General Manager of the Italian label's French subsidiary, then heading the EMEA region's wholesale business, as well as that of Valentino stores managed in partnership.

Daphné Cousineau is one of four women to have joined Balenciaga's top management team recently. With her, Laura du Rusquec, who was appointed Director of Strategic Projects, tasked with "deploying priority projects, especially those linked with the brand's retail performance."
 
Also, Caroline Bonnet-Maes, now in charge of HR worldwide, and Alexia de Courcel, the label's new Global Merchandising Director for all the menswear and womenswear product categories.