Carole Dupont-Pietri, PSA Peugeot Citroën’s IRO of the last four years, has left the embattled car maker to take up a new role as group head of financial operations and investor relations at luxury goods firm Hermès.
A former investment banker with JPMorgan, Dupont-Pietri moved into investor relations in 2004 with EDF and later became head of IR at GDF Suez. She joined Peugeot in 2011 and helped steer Europe’s second-largest car manufacturer through two major capital raisings.
Dupont-Pietri arrives at a time of newfound calm for shareholder relations at Hermès. The leather bag purveyor struck a peace deal with LVMH this September, following a four-year battle – dubbed the ‘handbag wars’ in France – that saw Hermès attempt to eject its rival from the shareholder base.
Peugeot, meanwhile, has appointed Frédéric Brunet as its new IRO. He joined Peugeot in 2004 and has held various finance positions, including a stint as the group’s financial officer for Latin America. Most recently he worked within the strategy department.
One of Brunet’s chief tasks will be to explain the progress of Peugeot’s recovery plan to investors and analysts. Under new CEO Carlos Tavares, the firm is cutting costs and slimming its product line, while also attempting to boost growth in emerging markets.
