Jean-Marc Bellaiche appointed CEO of DOUGLAS Group as Sander van der Laan steps down. Jean-Marc Bellaiche will take over as CEO of the DOUGLAS Group on 1 November 2026, succeeding Sander van der Laan, who is retiring from executive management after a 36-year career in retail. Bellaiche’s four-year appointment follows a period of strategic and operational change at the Group, with customer focus, beauty-brand partnerships and omnichannel development identified as priorities for its next phase.
Bellaiche’s appointment begins in November 2026
The Supervisory Board of Douglas AG appointed Bellaiche as Chief Executive Officer on 14 October 2026. His four-year term begins on 1 November. He succeeds van der Laan, who joined the Group in October 2022 and is stepping away from active management.
Supervisory Board Chairman Dr Henning Kreke said the transition had been prepared to support a smooth handover. He credited van der Laan with playing an important role in the Group’s development and described Bellaiche as an executive with experience in international retail, luxury, beauty, digital transformation, brand building and strategy.
The Supervisory Board said it expects Bellaiche to build on progress already made, with more attention to customer focus, partnerships with beauty brands and operational performance. Bellaiche said he would work with the management team and colleagues across 22 European countries. He cited the Group’s omnichannel presence, customer base and assortment, developed through close relationships with beauty brands, as areas on which to build.
Career spans consulting, beauty, luxury and technology
Bellaiche, a 56-year-old French national, began his career at Boston Consulting Group in 1993. He became Managing Director and Global Leader of the firm’s Luxury, Fashion and Beauty sector. In 2014, he joined Tiffany & Co. as Senior Vice President and a member of its Executive Committee.
He later held senior leadership and board roles at technology companies Contentsquare and Arianee. After a decade in the United States, Bellaiche returned to Europe in 2020 to become CEO of Printemps Group, which includes a French department store chain.
During his five-year tenure at Printemps, the company strengthened its market differentiation and customer focus, increased the number of exclusive products in its assortment, and accelerated its international and omnichannel development. The announcement also reports an improvement in operating profitability. For the year before joining DOUGLAS, Bellaiche served as CEO of luxury resort operator Sani/Ikos Group.
His background covers consulting, premium department stores, beauty, technology and luxury tourism. This experience will inform his leadership of a group that operates across different markets and combines physical stores with online retail.
Van der Laan oversaw changes to stores, supply chain and digital platforms
Van der Laan joined DOUGLAS in October 2022. During his time as CEO, the Group pursued a transformation towards an omnichannel business and made strategic, operational and structural changes.
Among the initiatives listed in the announcement were a revised category and exclusive-brand strategy, changes to store formats and the store network, and a comprehensive reorganisation of the supply chain. The Group also developed its digital platforms, introduced an ESG strategy and harmonised internal processes and structures.
In 2024, the company was listed on the stock exchange. Van der Laan also worked on the Group’s corporate culture and introduced its purpose statement, “Make life more beautiful”. In his statement, he said he was grateful for his time at the company and noted the work carried out alongside around 20,000 colleagues. He said that after 36 years in retail, including senior leadership roles in Europe and the United States, he considered this the right time to leave executive management.
Omnichannel retail remains a stated strategic priority
The DOUGLAS Group operates the DOUGLAS, NOCIBÉ, Parfumdreams and Niche Beauty brands. Its sales channels include online retail and around 1,970 stores. The Group’s assortment covers fragrances, colour cosmetics, skincare, haircare, accessories and beauty services.
For the 2024/25 financial year, the Group reported sales of €4.58 billion and more than 19,900 employees across Europe. Its “Let it Bloom” strategy focuses on strengthening its omnichannel position and developing the customer experience. The company also points to its brands and data capabilities as foundations of its business model.
Bellaiche will lead the Group alongside CFO Marco Giorgetta, the management team and employees. The announcement sets out broad priorities for the next phase but does not specify new measures or targets. For perfumery retailers and cosmetics manufacturers, the leadership change is relevant to the Group’s stated focus on customer experience, beauty-brand partnerships and the continued development of online and store-based retail.
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[Text: epcnews/Photos: Douglas]
