Sephora names Guillaume Motte as President and CEO

Sephora has announced the appointment of Guillaume Motte as its new President and CEO, effective 1 January 2023.

Joining Sephora from LVMH Fashion Group, Motte currently serves as Deputy CEO. Prior to this, he was President of Sephora Europe and Middle East.

Motte will succeed Chris de Lapuente as CEO and President. De Lapuente, who also heads LVMH's Selective Distribution Division, assumed the role following the departure of Martin Brok as Sephora's CEO in June 2022. At the time, an internal memo reportedly stated the move was "due to a divergence of views" between Brok and the company.

Chris de Lapuente, President & CEO of Sephora and Chairman & CEO of the LVMH Selective Retailing Division, said: "I am delighted to welcome Guillaume back to Sephora as President and CEO.

"His experiences over the past two years in LVMH Fashion Group have broadened his prestige brand building expertise and deepened his already extensive retail and business skills at a global level. I have no doubt he will continue to build Sephora into the extraordinary premium beauty retailer we envision. I am extremely happy that we will be working together again."

Last month, Sephora returned to the UK online. The retailer took over the Feelunique website, which was acquired by the beauty giant in September 2021. It also announced the opening of a new London store in Spring 2023.

Sephora originally entered the UK market in 2000, with its first store located at Bluewater in Kent. The brand went on to open nine further stores in the UK but exited in 2005. Reports at the time suggested a combination of high rents and tough competition from home-grown retailers  contributed to the decision.