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Open to Permanent
Open to Permanent

Lionel Riou

Managing Director LATAM & Caribbean | Responsible for brand business
About

At the helm of Salvatore Ferragamo's LATAM & Caribbean division, my leadership spans over 16 countries, directing the brand's business and regional P&L with a firm grasp on retail operations and new business development. My approach is holistic, focusing on strategy implementation across diverse functions—merchandising, operations, human resources, finance, and marketing—to elevate sales performance and profitability. As President for Mexico, I have spearheaded the integration of a LATAM regional structure, successfully leading a workforce of over 250 employees and a network of direct reports. We have optimized the brand's presence through innovative strategies, ensuring customer satisfaction and fostering a culture of collaboration and diversity. Committed to excellence, I drive market development while championing ESG initiatives, recognizing their importance in sustainable value creation.

Previous Brands
Salvatore Ferragamo
Montblanc
Nike
Bally
IFB International Freightbridge
KENZO Mode
Work Experience
Managing Director LATAM & Caribbean and President Mexico
Oct ‘18 - Jul ‘24
Salvatore Ferragamo

Member of the Global Executive Committee, President of Ferragamo Mexico and Chile, Board member of Ferragamo Brazil and Argentina. Team of 250 employees across Latin-American, 10 direct reports and 56 points of sales. 16 countries of which 4 directly operated. Responsible for the Brazilian subsidiary. Regional P&L owner, responsible for the whole organization in terms of commercial development (Retail, wholesale, digital), operational structure (Merchandising, Supply chain/logistic, IT, Human Resources, Architecture, Real Estate, Visual merchandising). Creation of the LATAM regional structure in Mexico merging 2 entities and defining the organization. Elaborate mid and long-term strategic plans to accelerate revenues while securing improvement of profits. Build budget and forecast to drive business and take measures to adjust accordingly. Achievement of Net Operating Profit of the Region. Design and develop commercial strategies in the Region in line with global image and targets. Optimize a qualitative distribution network by repositioning POS and consolidating partnership with key real estate players of luxury market in the region. Respect and protect the brand image while executing the global transformation plan. Ensure that products are aligned with market needs by an assertive planning, buying and allocation process. Guarantee that a coherent marketing, PR and communication strategy is implemented throughout the whole region and customize it as per country’s requirements. Create a customer experience culture and structure to enhance the emotional approach with clients increasing loyalty while generating recruitment of new ones. Provide leadership and alignment to the teams. Create and implement talent development/ retention initiatives in alignment with a strong ESG policy. Provide constant market trends, business opportunities, possible risks, and challenges for the Region.

Vice President retail USA and Canada
Apr ‘16 - Oct ‘18
Montblanc

◊ North America Regional Board Member. ◊ Develop an overarching sales and strategy to drive revenue, profitability and increase market share in alignment with long-range business plans and strategic priorities. Develop strategic and operational plans for the whole business while managing execution and delivering measurable results. Develop and execute annual business plans to maximize revenue and profitability.

Retail director Mexico & LATAM retail development
Jan ‘13 - May ‘16
Montblanc

◊ Country board member. ◊ Management of Retail expansion, retail design, merchandiser, visual merchandising, operations, HR and CRM for Mexican Market. ◊ Lead LATAM specific projects for retail and wholesale (Panama, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Dominican Republic). ◊ Developing strategies, sales plans and profit targets for the retail department with the aim of elaborating the annual strategic plan. Fully responsible for the department P&L control. Managing stock and merchandising optimization for the network.

Retail Operations Manager Spain and Portugal
Jan ‘10 - Jan ‘13
Montblanc

◊ Proactively manage expenses/budgets/forecast and all margin drivers affecting the P&Ls and KPIs. ◊ Report on sales, costs, and business performance. Consistently and accurately conduct mandatory weekly/monthly reports. Plan, conduct, attend store meetings through regular visits to POS (70% working time) and organize annual retail convention. Organize, prepare and assist with special projects and events. ◊ Follow and control established ICS to protect company assets. Member of the international “brand value” projects. ◊ Responsible for the POS opening/refurbishment/closure. Provide support to HQ projects. Development of CRM tools and clienteling projects based on the definition of the annual marketing plan.

Flagship Store Head Coach
Oct ‘08 - Jan ‘10
Nike

Boutique and SIS manager
Feb ‘06 - Jan ‘08
Bally

Operations Manager
Oct ‘03 - Apr ‘06
IFB International Freightbridge

CRM manager
Jan ‘03 - Oct ‘03
KENZO Mode

Export back office Manager ( Kenzo Paris)
Jan ‘02 - Jan ‘03
KENZO Mode

Office Manager (Kenzo UK)
Jan ‘00 - Jan ‘02
KENZO Mode

Languages
English - Fluent
French - Native
Spanish - Fluent
Education & Training
Ecole Supérieure de Commerce International (ESCI)
‘97 - ‘00
Five years degree
ETA. Cordoba España
‘97 - ‘98
International trade
Le Lykes
‘95 - ‘97
BTS International trade
Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico