Alexandre Ricard has been at the head of the Pernod Ricard group since 2015. He succeeded his uncle, Patrick Ricard, with the main objective of making the group the world leader in spirits. The new CEO is the grandson of the founder of the Ricard Company, Paul Ricard. He is thus the custodian of the inheritance of the family home.
The history of Pernod Ricard
The Pernod Ricard group was born in 1975 following the merger of two French companies specializing in the production of aperitif drinks: Pernod, created in 1805, and Ricard, launched in 1932.
The group quickly established itself in the wine and spirits sector and built a unique and comprehensive portfolio of brands ranging from Ricard pastis to Ballantine’s scotch whiskey and Chivas Regal. This portfolio is based on a unique concept specific to the group, that of “House of Brands”. This is a tool that allows subsidiaries to prioritize their marketing investments. The company prioritizes international strategic brands, then strategic wine brands and finally, local strategic brands.
Strategy and fundamental values of the Pernod Ricard group
Pernod Ricard is the second largest producer of wines and spirits in the world with a turnover amounting to 8.448 billion euros for the year 2020. The company’s strategy is based on creation of conviviality. As such, Alexandre Ricard specifies on the site group internet: “If I had to sum up our group in one word, I would say: conviviality”.
The group advocates this value to both consumers and employees. Pernod Ricard entered the 680 ranking World’s Most Admired Companies in February 2020 and Alexandre Ricard has just gained 150 places in the ranking of 500 Best Employers in France. “In our premises I like to sit in the open space, everyone can come and share ideas with me”, he explains to Bpifrance.
The three fundamental values that govern the group today are: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics. The company has developed a 2030 roadmap aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), “Good times from a good place”. Pernod Ricard has, as such, received a gold rating from Ecovadis in recognition of its commitment to the environment and sustainable development.
Despite the economic crisis which has hit the spirits sector hard, the company plans to maintain its strategic focus on the environmental aspect. Alexandre Ricard told The Champagne of Sophie Claeys, during an interview: “ Whatever happens, we maintain the same ambition. For example, last May, in the middle of a period of confinement, we announced that we would be able to bring forward the end of all single-use plastic at points of sale to 2021 by two years. in advance. I also remind you that in Champagne we have stopped the use of herbicides on our Maison vineyard and are favoring biocontrol products. In total, our Treatment Frequency Index (TFI) has been in constant decline for at least 5 years. As you see, we continue our acceleration and transformation. »
The academic career of Alexandre Ricard, CEO of Pernod Ricard
Alexandre Ricard was born on May 12, 1972 in Boulogne-Billancourt. He graduated fromESCP Business School in 1995. In 2001, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania to pursue a Master of Arts in International Global Studies. The same year, he joined the Wharton Business School for an MBA. He chose majors in finance and entrepreneurship.
In 1996, he joined the Accenture group as a strategy advisor for three years in Paris. In 2001, he decided to leave France to join the investment bank Morgan Stanley in England, where he held a position as an advisor in mergers and acquisitions.
The beginning of the Pernod Ricard adventure for Alexandre Ricard
Alexandre Ricard joined the family group in 2003 in audit and headquarters development. In October 2004, he was appointed head of the administrative and financial management of Irish Distillers Group, a subsidiary based in Dublin. In 2006, he was appointed managing director of Pernod Ricard Asia Duty Free, a subsidiary based in Hong Kong. He was therefore responsible for driving the upscaling strategy within the company’s most dynamic region.
Two years later, Alexandre returned to Ireland and held the position of CEO of Irish Distillers Group and at the same time became a member of the executive committee.
In September 2011, he joined the general management team in Paris as deputy general manager in charge of the distribution network. This appointment led him to become Deputy CEO of Pernod Ricard and member of the Board of Directors at the end of August 2012. On February 11, 2015, Alexandre Ricard was appointed Chairman and CEO of the Pernod Ricard group by the Board of Directors.
Alexandre Ricard has set itself three main areas of development: innovation, with the digital transformation of the groupinternational expansion, with the opening of six subsidiaries, in Africaand the premiumization (upgrading existing products) with the acceleration of sales of luxury products.
