Galeries Lafayette Appoints Elsa Haddad Director of Finance, Strategy and Transformation Amid Executive Revamp

PARIS — Galeries Lafayette has appointed Elsa Haddad director of finance, strategy and transformation — the latest in a series of senior leadership changes at the French department store group.

Haddad, who starts on Monday, will report to chief executive officer Arthur Lemoine and join the company’s executive committee. In her new role, she will steer key transformation priorities and oversee the construction and monitoring of the company’s budget as the retailer sets to modernize.

In July, Lemoine was named as CEO of Galeries Lafayette, succeeding Nicolas Houzé, who became executive chairman of the group. Shortly after, Guillaume Houzé, longtime director of image and communications, was promoted to chief image and innovation officer, while continuing as chairman of both its art foundation Lafayette Anticipations and the ANDAM fashion prize.

The leadership refresh continued into the fall. In September, Alexandre Liot was elevated to deputy CEO in charge of operations, while Alix Morabito became director of offer and purchasing, with both joining the executive committee.

This month, the retailer created the position of director of specialized activities, appointing Harold Israel to the role; he also reports to Lemoine; and recruited Art Basel Paris executive Clément Delépine to become the new director of Lafayette Anticipations.

For Haddad, the new post marks a return to strategic leadership within the group. She began her career in 2013 as a strategy consultant at Monitor Deloitte, then at the Boston Consulting Group in Dubai and Paris. She joined Galeries Lafayette in 2018 as a project manager in the Strategy and Transformation division before rising through several development posts at the now-independent BHV Marais, which was part of Galeries Lafayette Group at that time.

Most recently, she served positions within the merchandising and purchasing divisions, covering footwear, then beauty, home and leisure.

The appointments come as the retailer is sharpening its omnichannel ambitions and reconfiguring its governance structure.

The group has been investing in both physical store refurbishments and its digital channels, seeking to solidify its global brand positioning. Galeries Lafayette invested about 100 million euros in revitalizing the Boulevard Haussmann flagship in 2021, and has dedicated a similar amount for modernization of its network each year over the next five years.

Galeries Lafayette directly operates 19 stores in France, and has a presence in Beijing, Chongqing, Doha, Dubai, Jakarta, Luxembourg, Macao, Shanghai and Shenzhen. It opened the first stand-alone department store in Mumbai last month, and has plans for a second outpost in the growing market with New Delhi on the horizon.