Philippe Houzé MBA'74

Philippe Houzé is Chairman of the Executive Board of the Galeries Lafayette Group, France's largest chain of department stores. 

After gaining a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and graduating from INSEAD Business School, Philippe Houzé began his career with Monoprix in 1969. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Monoprix in 1982 and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1994, holding the position until November 2012. He was Co- Chairman of the Galeries Lafayette Group from 1998 to 2004 and became Chairman of the Executive Board in 2005. 

With his sales and marketing expertise, Philippe Houzé used innovative concepts to transform Monoprix, making it a leading local retailer in town and city centers.

As Chairman of the Executive Board of the Galeries Lafayette Group, he has succeeded in making Galeries Lafayette a créateur de désir with innovative collections, fashion items, refurbished stores and organized events. Today his ambition is to make the Galeries Lafayette Group a multi-channel, international specialist in fashion, beauty and homeware. The Galeries Lafayette Group, which was founded in Paris in 1894, has the novel aim of "making the good and the beautiful accessible to all". It has long been seen as a legendary symbol of French art de vivre by shoppers at home and abroad.

As a committed stakeholder in the French economy, Philippe Houzé has made a personal commitment to sustainable development: he has been heavily involved in the regeneration of town and city centers while taking into consideration the Group's environmental and social responsibilities. As outlined in his book La vie s'invente en ville, he intends to continue working on behalf of inner city areas and help build a brighter future for the next generations.

Following in the footsteps of the Group's founders, Philippe Houzé is continuing to support contemporary art and design. For example, he has been personally involved in the Centre Pompidou Mobile project, to which the Galeries Lafayette Group is one of the main partners. He is also keen to support the thirtieth birthday celebrations for France's Regional Contemporary Art Funds (FRAC) in 2013.

Philippe Houzé is a member of the Supervisory Committee of BHV (2002), Director of HSBC France, Observer on Carrefour's Board of Directors. He is member and former Chairman of the International Association of Department Stores (IADS), member and former Chairman of the Union du Grand Commerce de Centre Ville (UCV), elected member of Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP), Chairman of the France Council and member of the board of INSEAD Business School and Chairman of the Governing Board of Novancia Business School. 

Philippe Houzé is a Commander of France's Legion of Honor, Knight of the "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres".
He was born in 1947, is married with three children.