Groupe SEB Creates Two Divisions, Updates Executive Committee

Groupe SEB said it has strengthened its executive committee and created two new divisions— Three Continental and Products and Innovations— to “better serve” its different markets and support international growth.

The Three Continental divisions, which will be in charge of worldwide sales activity of the group, covers three geographic areas: Asia, Americas and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa and India). The Products and Innovation division includes kitchen electrics, cookware and home and personal care business units, as well as Innovation.

The company’s nine-member executive committee now includes:

• Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, chairman and CEO.
• Bertrand Neuschwander, chief operating officer, who will assist Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise with group management and supervise the following functions: strategy, partnerships, brands and communications and IT. He also oversees the group’s digital transformation.
• Vincent Léonard, senior evp/finance.
• Harry Touret, senior evp/human resources.
• Stéphane Laflèche, evp/industrial operations.
• Frédéric Verwaerde is now evp of the new Asia Continental division. He was previously in charge of the Continents division. He is now based in Hong Kong.
• Cyril Buxtorf, the new evp of the EMEA Continental division, was previously in charge of home and personal care. He continues working out of the group's headquarters in Ecully.
• Luc Gaudemard becomes the new evp of the Americas Continental division. He was until now in charge of the European division. He is now based in Parsippany, NJ.
• Philippe Crevoisier becomes evp/products and innovation. He was previously in charge of kitchen electrics. He manages the new division from the group’s headquarters.

The new evp for the Americas division, Gaudemard, 53, joined Groupe SEB in 2001 as vp/marketing for kitchen electrics. He then ran the company’s business in the United States for three years before being named evp/Europe and member of the management committee.

Gaudemard succeeds Volker Lixfeld who has been named svp of Groupe SEB Europe. Lixfeld leaves Groupe SEB North America after serving for five years as president/CEO of Groupe SEB North America, All-Clad Metalcrafters LLC and a member of the Groupe SEB Management Committee.