Maus Frères confides leadership of The Kooples to Romain Guinier

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
May 24, 2019

Maus Frères, the Swiss owner of Lacoste, Aigle and Gant, has received approval from the French competition authority for its offer to acquire The Kooples. Thierry Guibert, CEO of Lacoste and Maus Frères International, has therefore been able to confirm his organisational projects by implementing a management reshuffle at the company. 

The task of overseeing the integration of The Kooples, co-founded by brothers Elicha Dreyfus and his brother Nicolas – the brand's CEO – in 2009, has been entrusted to a group veteran: Romain Guinier, who has piloted Aigle for the last ten years.

The CEO of the specialist boot label, which boasts an HQ and a production facility in the Western French town of Châtellerault, has successfully supported the brand's transformation during his mandate, developing its presence both in France and abroad, particularly in Asia. The brand is therefore positioned to post revenues surpassing 200 million euro milestone this year, a fair increase from the 140 million euros reported at the time of Guinier's arrival at the label. 

The profile of The Kooples, however, is quite different from that of Aigle. Guinier will no longer be dealing with a label producing practical equipment but with a fashion-focused brand facing significant challenges. Luckily, far from being a specialist in wellington boots and windbreakers, Guinier has a vast range of experience that will no doubt serve to his advantage as he looks to lead The Kooples into the next phase of its development. In terms of retail, the French executive has already served as deputy director general at Celio, while his fashion experience includes a stint as VP Europe at Louis Vuitton from 2004 to 2008. It's a promising background which should allow Guinier to succesfully implement Maus Frères' processes and structures at the brand, which reported 227 million euros last year. 

As for Aigle's new CEO, Thierry Guibert has decided to promote in-house talent. Sandrine Conseiller, who has served as Lacoste's VP of marketing since 2015, will therefore be stepping in to lead the boot brand. A graduate of Reims' École de Commerce, the executive spent most of her career at Unilever, establishing her area of expertise as beauty and haircare. Her experience in Asia will no doubt be a valuable asset for Aigle's growth in this region in the future.