Jardine Matheson Holdings has announced the appointment of new group chief executives for two of its companies Mandarin Oriental M04 and DFI Retail Group D01 , on May 2.
Laurent Kleitman has been appointed Mandarin Oriental’s group chief executive, replacing outgoing group chief executive James Riley, who has been in the role since 2016.
Kleitman, who was most recently the president and chief executive of Parfums Christian Dior under LVMH, will step into his new role on Sept 1. Riley will step down from his position on July 31 but will be “available” to support the management team till Kleitman joins the group.
Prior to joining LVMH in 2019, Kleitman was president of the consumer beauty division of NYSE-listed beauty group Coty. Before Coty, Kleitman spent 25 years at Unilever and held roles covering the group’s various markets.
“With Laurent’s leadership, we will continue to grow our global portfolio of luxury hotels, resorts and residences. Building on Mandarin Oriental’s renowned legendary service, he will further evolve our brand for our guests – delivering 21st-century luxury hospitality and lifestyle experiences steeped in a rich and proud Asian heritage. I am delighted to welcome Laurent to Mandarin Oriental,” says Ben Keswick, executive chairman of Jardine Matheson and chairman of Mandarin Oriental.
“I would like to thank James for his 30 years of valued service to the Jardine Matheson group. I especially want to highlight his significant contribution as group CEO of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel group over the past seven years. James has been instrumental in continuing to expand Mandarin Oriental’s development pipeline and elevating the Mandarin Oriental brand globally,” he adds. “James has also made substantial progress embedding sustainability into the way in which we operate and make decisions at Mandarin Oriental. Today, Mandarin Oriental operates 36 hotels and nine residences in 24 countries and territories, and has a pipeline of 25 properties under development which are expected to open in the next five years.”
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In a separate statement, DFI Retail Group announced the appointment of Scott Price, who will become the group’s new group chief executive on Aug 1.
Price, who was most recently president at UPS’s international division, will succeed outgoing group chief executive Ian McLeod. McLeod, who has been DFI’s chief executive since 2017, will step down in the beginning of August.
Prior to UPS, Price was with Walmart, DHL Express and the Coca Cola Company. The veteran senior business executive comes with 25 years of international experience, of which 19 years was spent in Asia.
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“Scott’s career has centred on leading comprehensive programs to transform business growth, talent, and culture, resulting in significant enhancements to shareholder returns,” says the group in its statement.
Keswick, who is also the chairman of DFI Retail, expressed his delight at welcoming Price to the group.
“Scott has successfully led several large, multi-business organisations. He has the combination of strategic, execution and Asia expertise to oversee our portfolio of leading retail businesses across the region, building on our solid foundations to create long-term value. I wish him every success as our new group chief executive,” he says.
“I would like to thank Ian for his six years as group chief executive. At DFI, Ian has led a comprehensive business transformation to strengthen our market leading positions, including with respect to customer and product propositions, core operating systems and processes, and supply chain,” he adds. “With Ian’s leadership, DFI has responded to changing market needs for an integrated omnichannel customer experience with new store formats; the launch of Meadows, our Own Brand business with over 3,000 new items in three years; and via the launches of the yuu Rewards loyalty program in Hong Kong and Singapore – which now has 4 million members in Hong Kong alone – and yuu-to-me, a one-stop online shopping experience in Hong Kong.”
Shares in Mandarin Oriental and DFI Retail closed at US$1.85 and US$3.03 respectively on May 2.
