François-Henri Pinault

{{Infobox person

| name = François-Henri Pinault

| image = Portrait de François-Henri Pinault pris aux journée de la terre en 2011 à l'unesco paris.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Pinault in 2011

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|05|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = Rennes, France

| education = HEC Paris

| occupation = Businessman

| title = President and CEO of Kering
President of Groupe Artémis

| boards =

| years_active = 1985–present

| spouse = {{plainlist|

{{marriage|Dorothée Lepère|1996|2004|end=divorced}}
{{marriage|Salma Hayek|2009}}

}}

| children = 4

| father = François Pinault

| mother = Louise Gautier

| signature =

| website =

}}

François-Henri Pinault ({{IPA|fr|fʁɑ̃swa ɑ̃ʁi pino|lang}}; born 28 May 1962{{Cite web |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/france/paris/i-married-a-film-star-but-shes-not-my-only-luxury-ml7dj2z822j |title=I married a film star but she's not my only luxury |date=19 February 2012 |work=The Sunday Times |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://archive.today/20211018023433/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-married-a-film-star-but-shes-not-my-only-luxury-ml7dj2z822j |archive-date=18 October 2021 |url-status=live}}) is a French businessman, the son of billionaire François Pinault. François-Henri took the reins of his father's retail conglomerate Pinault-Printemps-Redoute in 2005, and turned it into the luxury group Kering (Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta) in 2013. He has been president of the family-owned investment holding Groupe Artémis (Château Latour, Christie's, Pinault Collection, Creative Artists Agency) since 2003. He has been married to the film producer and actress Salma Hayek since 2009.

Early life

François-Henri Pinault is the son of François Pinault, the founder of Pinault SA, which would later become the retail conglomerate Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR) and then Kering.{{cite web|first=Dyan|last=Machan|url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/SB50001424052748704567604578418770994156916|title=The French Enlightenment|website=Barron's|date=20 April 2013}} He was born and raised in Rennes. He graduated from HEC School of Management in 1985. During his studies, he co-founded the CRM company Soft Computing with other fellow students and interned at Hewlett-Packard in Paris as a database-software developer. After graduating, he completed military service at the French Consulate in Los Angeles, and was in charge of studying fashion and new technology sectors.{{cite web |url= http://www.journaldunet.com/dossiers/Net20_2000/pinault.shtml |title= François-Henri Pinault (PPR) : le nouvel empire |website= Journaldunet.com |date= 7 December 2000 |language= fr |access-date= 23 April 2017}}{{cite web |url= https://techcrunch.com/2012/08/05/meet-le-geek-francois-henri-pinault/ |title= Meet Le Geek: Francois-Henri Pinault |website= Techcrunch.com |date= 5 August 2012 |author= Joe Einhorn |access-date= 23 April 2017}}

Career

In 1987, Pinault began his career at PPR (then called Pinault Distribution) where he was promoted manager of the buying department in 1988, head manager of France Bois Industries in 1989, and head manager of Pinault Distribution in 1990.{{cite web |url= https://www.kering.com/en/group/our-governance/francois-henri-pinault/ |title= Biography |website= Kering.com |access-date= 23 April 2017 }} In the 1990s, as Pinault Distribution became Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, an international player in the retail sector, Pinault became president of CFAO in 1993 and CEO of Fnac in 1997. In May 2003, Pinault became vice-president of PPR, and president of Groupe Artémis, PPR's parent company.{{cite web|url= https://money.cnn.com/2009/08/31/news/companies/francois_henri_pinault.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009090216 |title= The new king of luxury |website= Fortune.com| date= 2 September 2009 |author= Peter Gumbel |access-date= 23 April 2017}}

In March 2005, Pinault was appointed President and CEO of Pinault-Printemps-Redoute. The group had purchased Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent in 1999 and was going through a major overhaul of its organization and portfolio. Under Pinault's leadership, the group divested its retail assets (Conforama, CFAO, Printemps, Fnac, La Redoute), merged PPR with the Gucci group (Gucci, Yves Saint-Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Boucheron, Alexander McQueen) in 2011,{{cite web|first=Rachel|last=Sanderson|url=https://www.ft.com/content/30c00cb4-3a9b-11e0-9c65-00144feabdc0|title=Pinault takes Gucci helm in PPR overhaul|website=Financial Times|date=17 February 2011}} and then further expanded its portfolio of luxury brands (Brioni, Qeelin, Pomellato, Ulysse Nardin, Creed, Valentino). After changing PPR's name to KeringThe new name is a reference to his Breton roots, "Ker" meaning "home" in the region's dialect, and sounds like "caring" in June 2013 to conclude the group's transformation,{{cite web |url=https://pursuitist.com/francois-henri-pinaults-luxury-group-ppr-changes-name-to-kering/ |title=François-Henri Pinault's Luxury Group PPR Changes Name to Kering |website=Pusuitist.com |date=22 March 2013 |access-date=23 April 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/04/20/flyby |title=Flyby |website=Newyorker.com |date=2 April 2015 |author=Molly Fischer |access-date=23 April 2017}} Pinault stopped acquiring luxury houses to focus on brand development and organic growth.{{Cite web |last=Muret |first=Dominique |date=2020-02-13 |title=François-Henri Pinault says Kering not currently envisaging new acquisitions |url=https://us.fashionnetwork.com/news/Francois-henri-pinault-says-kering-not-currently-envisaging-new-acquisitions,1186570.html |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=FashionNetwork.com |language=en-US}} Kering's major fashion houses went through a growth cycle that took each of their revenue beyond the billion dollar mark ($10 billion for Gucci alone). The group launched the eyewear manufacturing arm Kering Eyewear in 2013 which also passed the billion dollar mark in revenue after ten years in the running.{{Cite web |last=Zargani |first=Luisa |date=2024-02-09 |title=Kering Eyewear 2023 Sales Reach 1.5B Euros |url=https://wwd.com/business-news/business-features/kering-eyewear-2023-sales-reach-1-5-billion-euros-1236170552/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=WWD |language=en-US}} Kering's revenue stalled around $20 billion in 2023, "a trying year" according to Pinault.{{Cite web |last=Danziger |first=Pamela N. |date=2023-10-31 |title=Trouble In The House Of Gucci: Kering Struggles To Revive The Brand's Sparkle |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2023/10/29/trouble-in-the-house-of-gucci-kering-struggles-to-revive-the-brands-sparkle/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Guilbault |first=Laure |date=2024-02-08 |title=As Kering's sales slide, François-Henri Pinault talks elevation strategy |url=https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/companies/as-kerings-sales-slide-francois-henri-pinault-talks-elevation-strategy |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Vogue Business |language=en-US}}

In the early 2010s, he implemented the "environmental profit and loss" (EP&L) accounting method that was gradually applied to all the brands owned by the group.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/fashion/franois-henri-pinault-kering-sustainability.html|title=François-Henri Pinault, Kering Chief, on Why Green Is the New Black|website=The New York Times|date=25 January 2017|author=Elizabeth Paton|access-date=30 January 2019}} He launched the Kering Foundation in 2008 to support women's rights,{{cite web |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2016/11/francois-henri-pinault-hall-of-fame |title=Vanity Fair Nominates François-Henri Pinault to Its Hall of Fame |website=Vanityfair.com |date=December 2016 |access-date=23 April 2017}} and the Women in Motion program with the Cannes Film Festival in 2015 to raise awareness around women-related issues in the film industry.{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-fashion-partner-francois-henri-793166 |title=Cannes Fashion Partner Francois-Henri Pinault on His Festival Strategy and Why the Red Carpet Matters |website=Hollywoodreporter.com |date=5 December 2015 |author=Tatiana Siegel |access-date=23 April 2017}} In 2009, he financed the documentary Home by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, which shows aerial shots of various places on Earth and discusses how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet.{{cite web |url=http://www.homethemovie.org/en/informations-about-the-movie/fact-sheet |title=Information about the movie - Home - Un film de Yann Arthus-Bertrand |publisher=Homethemovie.org |access-date=25 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111100645/http://www.homethemovie.org/en/informations-about-the-movie/fact-sheet |archive-date=11 January 2014 }} In January 2018, Kering was named top sustainable textile, apparel and luxury goods corporation in the Corporate Knights Global 100 index.{{cite web|url=http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/kering-most-sustainable-global-corporation-11122255/|title=Kering Named Most Sustainable Global Corporation|website=Wwd.com|date=23 January 2018|author=Lorelei Marfil|access-date=4 July 2018}} Pinault was mandated by the French President Emmanuel Macron to set up the Fashion Pact during the G7 summit in August 2019, an initiative signed by 56 fashion firms committing to reduce their environmental impact.{{cite web|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/francois-henri-pinault-kering-sustainability-vision|title=At the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, Kering's François-Henri Pinault Shares a Radical New Vision of Sustainability|website=Vogue.com|date=16 May 2019|author=Emily Farra|access-date=19 May 2019}}Guilbault, Laure & Kent, Sarah, [https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/kering-chief-to-present-industry-sustainability-pact-to-g7 Kering Chief to Present Industry Sustainability Pact to G7], Business of Fashion, 23 August 2019.

Since 2003, Pinault has been the president of Groupe Artémis which owns Kering (majority shareholder), wines (Château Latour, Clos de Tart, Champagne Jacquesson), the auction house Christie's, news magazine Le Point and publishing house Tallandier, cruise operator Compagnie du Ponant,{{cite web |author=Doug Gollan |date=4 January 2018 |title=How The Billionaire Owner Of Gucci And Brioni Wants To Make Expedition Cruises Fashionable |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/douggollan/2018/01/04/how-the-billionaire-owner-of-gucci-and-brioni-wants-to-make-expedition-cruises-fashionable/#54ee4e4c13ee |access-date=30 January 2019 |website=Forbes.com}} fashion brands (Courrèges, Giambattista Valli) and the football team Stade Rennais F.C. (Ligue 1). In 2019, Pinault celebrated the first Coupe de France victory of the Stade Rennais F.C. since its acquisition by his family in 1998.(fr) David Hernandez, [https://www.football365.fr/rennes-cette-victoire-cest-surtout-celle-de-famille-pinault-9078499.html Rennes : Cette victoire, c'est surtout celle de la famille Pinault], Foot365, 28 April 2019. Artémis also controls Pinault Collection which operates three contemporary art museums in Europe. Through Artémis, the Pinault family donated $113 million to repair Notre-Dame de Paris after the 2019 fire.{{cite web |title=Incendie à Notre-Dame : la famille Pinault débloque 100 millions d'euros |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/notre-dame-de-paris-la-famille-pinault-debloque-100-millions-d-euros-20190416 |access-date=14 April 2018}}{{cite news |last=O'Kane |first=Caitlin |date=16 April 2019 |title=Several of the world's richest French billionaires donate more than $500 million to rebuild Notre Dame |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/notre-dame-cathedral-worlds-richest-french-billionaires-donating-more-than-500-million-to-rebuild-notre-dame/ |access-date=16 April 2019 |work=CBS News}} In 2023, through Artémis, Pinault led the acquisition of a majority stake in the talent sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for an estimated $7 billion, "a deal that shows the ever-growing convergence of fashion and fame" according to The New York Times.{{Cite news |last1=Hirsch |first1=Lauren |last2=Friedman |first2=Vanessa |date=2023-09-07 |title=Head of Luxury Goods Maker Kering Buys Majority Stake in Talent Agency CAA |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/business/pinault-kering-majority-stake-caa.html |access-date=2024-05-18 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

Main roles

President and CEO of Kering
Manager of Financière Pinault
President of Groupe Artémis
Co-founder and member of the board of Soft Computing
Owner of Stade Rennais, a French Ligue 1 football club
Member of the management board of Château Latour
Member of the board of Christie's

Awards and honours

2006: Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur{{cite news|title=Décret du 14 avril 2006 portant promotion et nomination|url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000607329|access-date=13 April 2017|work=Journal officiel de la République française|date=16 April 2006|language=Fr}}
2016: Vanity Fair Hall of Fame
2018: #8 Businessperson of the Year by Fortune{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/businessperson-of-the-year/francois-henri-pinault-8/|title=8: François-Henri Pinault|website=Fortune.com|date=2018|access-date=30 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128034913/http://fortune.com/businessperson-of-the-year/francois-henri-pinault-8/|archive-date=28 November 2018|url-status=dead}}
2019: Among the "30 best CEO of the world" according to Barron'sHough, Jack, [https://www.barrons.com/articles/mark-zuckerberg-jamie-dimon-and-other-best-ceos-in-the-world-51560565041 Mark Zuckerberg, Jamie Dimon, and Other Best CEOs in the World], Barron's, 17 June 2019.
2019 : 3rd of the "100 best CEOs worldwide" according to Harvard Business Review(fr) [https://www.hbrfrance.fr/chroniques-experts/2019/10/28098-12-francais-parmi-les-100-meilleurs-p-dg-du-monde/ 12 Français parmi les 100 meilleurs P-DG du monde], HBR, 21 October 2019.
2020: Fiorino d'Oro, the highest award of the city of FlorenceCarrera, Martino, [https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/francois-henri-pinault-honored-by-florences-municipality-1203409359/ François-Henri Pinault Honored by Florence's Municipality], WWD, 7 January 2020.

Wealth

In 2023, the French magazine Challenges estimated the wealth of the Pinault family at 31.2 billion euros.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-04 |title=François Pinault et sa famille - Les 500 plus grandes fortunes de France |url=https://www.challenges.fr/classements/fortune/francois-pinault-et-sa-famille_26539 |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Challenges |language=fr}} In 2024, Forbes' estimation was at 25.7 billion dollars.{{Cite web |title=François Pinault & family |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/francois-pinault/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Forbes |language=en}}

Private life

Pinault was married to Dorothée Lepère from 1996 to 2004. They had a son and a daughter together.Noé, Cristina, [https://us.hola.com/fashion/gallery/20200302fl6ijjfole/valentina-paloma-stepsister-mathilde-pinault-fashion-influencer/1 Meet Salma Hayek's stepdaughter, influencer Mathilde Pinault], Hola!, 3 March 2020. He dated supermodel Linda Evangelista from September 2005 to January 2006. They had a son together.Amanda Mitchell, [https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/a28425023/salma-hayek-husband-francois-henri-pinault/ François-Henri Pinault, Salma Hayek's Husband, Is Behind Some of Fashion's Biggest Names], The Oprah Magazine, 17 July 2019.{{cite web |date=23 September 2016 |title=Salma Hayek's Husband, François-Henri Pinault, Is the Father of Linda Evangelista's Son |url=http://people.com/babies/linda-evangelista-has-baby-with-salma-hayeks-husband-francois-henri-pinault/ |access-date=23 April 2017 |website=People}}

In April 2006, he started dating actress Salma Hayek. Their daughter was born on 21 September 2007.{{cite web |date=22 September 2007 |title=Salma Hayek Has a Baby Girl |url=https://people.com/celebrity/salma-hayek-has-a-baby-girl/ |access-date=28 January 2014 |publisher=People}} The couple married on 14 February 2009 in Paris. In April 2009, they renewed their wedding vows in Venice.{{cite web |author=Vicki Hyman/The Star-Ledger |date=27 April 2009 |title=Star-Ledger article on remarriage in Venice |url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/index.ssf/2009/04/salma_hayeks_wedding_in_venice.html |access-date=13 July 2011 |publisher=Nj.com}}