Fashion / news
Thierry Guibert returns to Lacoste as CEO after Eric Vallat's exit
Lacoste has named Thierry Guibert as chief executive after Eric Vallat left the French fashion house late last week, with no reason given for the departure. Guibert previously ran the brand for more than a decade.
Vallat took the top job in June 2025 with a mandate to lift Lacoste's premium positioning and improve thin margins in its wholesale channel. He arrived from the high-end spirits group Rémy Cointreau. The company has not confirmed why he left.
Guibert is a returning leader, having steered Lacoste for more than a decade before stepping away from the CEO role. His reappointment puts an executive with long-standing knowledge of the business back at the helm.
The brand is working toward €4 billion in revenue by 2026, a target that would mark a substantial increase from the €2.5 billion recorded in 2022.
Growth efforts have concentrated on footwear, women's fashion and fragrances. The scent business runs through a licensing agreement with Interparfums.
Lacoste is a French apparel company founded in 1923 by the former tennis player René Lacoste.