Accor has announced its CEO Gilles Pélisson will leave the company in January, to be replaced by the current European head of McDonald’s.
In a statement, the hotel group blamed the departure on “strategic divergences” between Pélisson and the board.
The current CEO of McDonald’s, Denis Hennequin, will take over from the departing Pélisson in December.
Pélisson will continue to work for Accor until January 15, however, to help with the handover.
During his five-year stint as CEO of Accor, Pélisson has steered the hotel group through a de-merger with its pre-paid services business, completed this summer.
Philippe Citerne, vice-chairman of Accor’s board of directors, said: “Gilles has successfully led every stage in the group’s transformation... [and] made an enormous contribution to strengthening Accor’s position as a world leader and improving the group’s financial performance against a backdrop of economic recovery.”
www.accor.com