Philippe Houzé
President of Motier, holding company of Galeries Lafayette
Philippe Houzé is a French retail executive who has spent more than five decades at Galeries Lafayette, the Paris department store group controlled by the Moulin family. He ran Monoprix for many years, co-led the group from 1998 and today presides over the family holding company Motier, which controls Galeries Lafayette.
| Role | President of Motier, holding company of Galeries Lafayette |
|---|---|
| Joined group | 1969 |
| Monoprix | Chairman and chief executive 1994 to 2013 |
| Education | INSEAD MBA (1974) |
| Nationality | French |
Who is Philippe Houzé?
Philippe Houzé is a French retail executive who has been associated with the Galeries Lafayette group for more than half a century. Born in Boulogne-Billancourt, he holds an MBA from INSEAD, obtained in 1974. He joined the group in 1969 and rose to lead both its grocery and city centre chain Monoprix and, later, the group as a whole. He is president of Motier, the holding company of the Moulin family, which controls Galeries Lafayette.
Career
Houzé spent much of his operational career at Monoprix, which was then part of the Galeries Lafayette group. He became its director general in 1982 and its chairman and chief executive in 1994, a role he held until 2013. Under his leadership Monoprix acquired the rival chains Uniprix in 1991 and Prisunic in 1997, consolidating its position as France's leading city centre retailer, and launched the monoprix.fr website in 2008.
- 1969: joins the Galeries Lafayette and Monoprix group
- 1974: becomes a director of the Galeries Lafayette group
- 1982: director general of Monoprix; chairman and chief executive from 1994 to 2013
- 1998 to 2004: co-chairman of the Galeries Lafayette group
- 2005: co-chairman of the executive board alongside Philippe Lemoine
- Today: president of Motier, the family holding company
His time at the head of Monoprix ended in 2013, when Casino, the group's partner in Monoprix since 2000, took over the 50% held by Galeries Lafayette.
Influence on the fashion business
As head of the family holding and co-head of the group for many years, Houzé has helped shape one of Europe's best known department store businesses, including its flagship on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris. Galeries Lafayette has been at the forefront of debates about the future of the department store, including the conversion of some regional stores to franchises in 2018 to focus on international and online expansion, and the 2023 sale of BHV. Its subsidiaries today include the online retailer La Redoute and the jeweller Mauboussin.
The group's cultural activity, including the Lafayette Anticipations foundation for contemporary art, design and fashion, opened in 2018, shows the group's ambition to act as a cultural patron as well as a retailer.
Why it matters
Houzé's long career spans the rise of city centre convenience retail, the consolidation of French retail and the current reinvention of the department store. For brands that rely on department stores in France and abroad, the strategic decisions taken by the Galeries Lafayette group under his family's control remain highly relevant.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Philippe Houzé?
Philippe Houzé is a French retail executive who has spent more than 50 years at the Galeries Lafayette group. He led Monoprix from 1982 to 2013 and is president of Motier, the family holding company that controls Galeries Lafayette.
What is Philippe Houzé known for?
He is known for building Monoprix into France's leading city centre retailer, including the acquisitions of Uniprix and Prisunic, and for leading the Galeries Lafayette group as co-chairman and family holding president.