Laurent Lacassagne, currently chairman & chief executive officer of Pernod Ricard Europe, has been made chairman & CEO of Chivas Brothers Ltd. Lacassagne will report to Thierry Billot, managing director – brands, and will be based in London.
Christian Porta, currently chairman & CEO of Chivas Brothers Ltd is appointed chairman & CEO of Pernod Ricard Europe. Porta will report to Alexandre Ricard, deputy CEO and group COO, and will be based in Paris.
Lacassagne (51) joined the group in 1988 as internal auditor at Pernod Ricard before being appointed finance and administration director of Besserat de Bellefon, Cusenier, then SEGM (former name for Pernod Ricard Europe). In January 1997, he was appointed group finance director, before moving to Australia in November 2003 as chairman & CEO of Orlando Wyndham. In February 2006 he was appointed chairman & CEO of Pernod Ricard Pacific and since July 2008 he has held the position of chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard Europe.
Porta (50) joined Pernod Ricard in 1988 as an internal auditor following which he became head of financial services. In 1994 he was appointed finance and administration director at Pernod, before moving to London in 1998 as managing director of Campbell Distillers. In 1999 he was appointed chairman and CEO of Orlando Wyndham, based in Australia, before moving back to London at the beginning of 2004 as chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers Ltd.