Alexandre Ricard, born in 1972, is a French businessman and one of the grandsons of
distiller and
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or ''Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produ ...
founder,
Paul Ricard
Paul Louis Marius Ricard (; July 9, 1909 – November 7, 1997) was a French industrialist and creator of an eponymous pastis brand which merged in 1975 with its competitor Pernod to create Pernod Ricard. Ricard was also an environmentalist and t ...
.
He became Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or ''Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produ ...
, the world's second-biggest distiller by sales on February 11, 2015.
At 43, he is the youngest Chief Executive Officer of the 40 top companies on the
CAC 40
The CAC 40 (french: CAC quarante ) (''Cotation Assistée en Continu'') is a benchmark French stock market index. The index represents a capitalization-weighted measure of the 40 most significant stocks among the 100 largest market caps on the E ...
, the Paris Stock Market.
Education
Ricard graduated from
ESCP Europe (Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris) in 1995. He holds an
MBA with a specialization in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the
Wharton School of Business
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League research university in ...
and an
MA in International Studies from the
University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences
The University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences (also known as SAS) is the academic institution encompassing the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.
Formerly known as the Faculty of A ...
, which he obtained in 2001. He speaks French, English, Italian and Spanish.
Career
Upon graduation in 1995, Ricard started his career outside the family business. After working at
Indosuez in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
,
he joined
Accenture
Accenture plc is an Irish-American professional services company based in Dublin, specializing in information technology (IT) services and consulting. A ''Fortune'' Global 500 company, it reported revenues of $61.6 billion in 2022. Accentur ...
from 1997 to 1999 where he consulted on strategy.
[Investing Businessweek, consulted on February 26, 2015](_blank)
/ref> He then joined Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment management and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in more than 41 countries and more than 75,000 employees, the fir ...
in London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
from 2001 to 2003, specializing in M&A. He has noted that these experiences have provided an outside perspective on the industry and Pernod Ricard.
In 2003, he joined his family's company in the audit department. His M&A skills were used during this period on the purchase of Allied Domecq
Allied Domecq PLC was an international company, headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent but has been acquired by Pernod Ricard. They ...
by Pernod Ricard. In 2004, he was appointed Finance and Administration Director of the Pernod Ricard subsidiary Irish Distillers in Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
In September 2006, he became the managing director of Pernod Ricard Asia Duty Free, thus moving to Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
. Two years later, he was asked to head up the Jameson Whiskey
Jameson ( or ) is a blended Irish whiskey produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. Originally one of the six main Dublin Whiskeys at the Jameson Distillery Bow St., Jameson is now distilled at the New Midleton Distillery i ...
brand as CEO of Irish Distillers, an experience he always mentions enthusiastically.
After going on to manage the Pernod Ricard distribution network, Ricard was appointed Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard on August 29, 2012 shortly after his uncle and then-CEO Patrick Ricard suddenly died.
Following Patrick Ricard's death, the Group's Board named Alexandre Ricard as his successor upon the mandatory retirement of then-CEO Pierre Pringuet
Pierre Pringuet is a French businessman. He was the chief executive officer of Pernod-Ricard from 2008 to 2015. He serves as its vice president, as well as the president of the French Association of Private Enterprises (AFEP).
Early life
Pierr ...
in February 2015. The succession announcement had been planned prior to Patrick Ricard's death, for the November 2012 shareholder meeting, but was moved up two months due to the circumstances. In the meantime, Ricard worked closely with Pringuet in all strategic matters for the Group. Alexandre Ricard's appointment as Chairman & CEO of the company took effect in February 2015
Other activities
* Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in ec ...
, Member of the Board of TrusteesInternational Advisory Council
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in ec ...
.
References
External links
Biography - official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricard, Alexandre
Living people
French businesspeople
1972 births
Pernod Ricard people