About

‘The lawyer must ensure to be both a generalist open to the world and its cultures and work tirelessly on his technique (as a pianist for example). There is no formula and only evidence in continuation’. Michel Friocourt has been with the world leader of apparel and luxury goods retailer Kering, which previously traded as Pinault Group, since 1989. In his recent role he is the special legal advisor to the CEO, continuing to influence the company’s direction. Friocourt played a crucial role in the 1990 merger between Pinault and CFAO, a distributor of electrical equipment in Africa, and the takeover of Conforama in 1991. This brought with it an evolution for Pinault Group, manoeuvring it to its current position as a leading player in retail distribution. Fricourt was the legal backbone during the sale of the Group’s timber activities and annexes in 1992, during the same year when Pinault was moulded into Pinault-Printemps via the takeover of the Spring Group (La Redoute and FINAREF). His legal services have allowed Pinault to expand internationally into the business-to-business and business-to-consumer sectors and has supported the internationalisation of company brands such as Conforma and FNAC. In 1999 Fricourt infiltrated the luxury goods market, purchasing brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and the takeover of Gucci. This eventful takeover of luxury products in a highly turbulent environment is quoted in “The War of Luxury” by Stéphane Marchand. He played an essential position in the 2007 bid for PUMA AG where has been a director since 2011. Friocourt is on the Board of an abundant number of entities under the Kering Group. Supporting transactions, installation and management of decentralised teams and his prediction and anticipation of strategic manoeuvres are a few of the many roles that Friocourt has taken to shape Kering as it stands today. An in-house lawyer and advisor of the highest quality, Friocourt says it’s owing to ‘the attitude of ambition, courage and responsible creativity, before the need for change that I think characterises the DNA and the spirit of Pinault. It is this context that permits my constant professional renewal and has made me to try and to stay “up to standard”’.