Green With Envy
The CEO Magazine Asia|July 2021
François-Henri Pinault has spent his life working in the family business. Only this family business is worth more than us$95 billion and as one of the most influential in the world, it’s making strides towards sustainability.
Emily Pidgeon
Green With Envy

Computer programmer, pharmaceutical equipment salesman, military serviceman, father of four and Salma Hayek’s husband are some of the diverse hats François-Henri Pinault has worn. Although it’s his blazing vision for a healthier planet that sees him don the most honourable, albeit stylish, hat of all.

Lauded as a humble hero, Pinault is pioneering the way to a sustainable future as his company, Kering, targets one of the most unforgiving sectors on Earth: the greatly criticised fashion industry. Valued at more than US$95 billion, the luxury conglomerate is one of the most influential in the world. But it hasn’t always been this way.

Pinault was just one year old when his father, François Pinault, established timber and building materials company Pinault in 1963. And it would be another 36 years before the business acquired a 42 per cent stake in the Gucci Group for US$3 billion, setting it on the glamorous path to luxury goods. After graduating from HEC business school in Paris and spending time in the military based in the US, in 2005, the younger Pinault was appointed Chair and CEO of the company, which had by then changed its name PPR.

“It was funny and dramatic and surreal,” he told The New York Times Style Magazine in 2013. “I knew it was coming, but I never expected it to happen so fast. I was still only 40 years old, and my father was 66 and in great shape, full of plans for PPR. But he had seen too many omnipotent fathers and what they did. I saw how hard this was for him.”

Being handed the keys to his father’s business empire was a pivotal moment for his career. Pinault had been tasked with transforming the once misunderstood company into the apex of fashion.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE CEO MAGAZINE ASIAView all
Lito German Is Driving Change And Accelerating Growth For Sandbox
The CEO Magazine Asia

Lito German Is Driving Change And Accelerating Growth For Sandbox

After years in the automotive industry, CEO Lito German is now driving change and accelerating growth for importer and distributor Sandbox Middle East.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2021
They're Pioneers In Enshrining Green Values Into Everything They Do
The CEO Magazine Asia

They're Pioneers In Enshrining Green Values Into Everything They Do

CEO Chamaiporn Uerpairojkit explains how thai plastics giant tpbi was committed to sustainability long before the government made an industry-changing announcement last year.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2021
Maverick Unicorn
The CEO Magazine Asia

Maverick Unicorn

Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek is a textbook example of the startup gurus propelling their companies to billion-dollar valuations.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2021
''Increase The Velocity''
The CEO Magazine Asia

''Increase The Velocity''

Adapting Camfil’s business model to work at a faster pace was critical for the business to thrive in today’s China, according to managing director Michel Moulin.

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2021
Device Manager
The CEO Magazine Asia

Device Manager

Covid-19 tore the world’s tech supply chains asunder, the effects of which are still being felt today. But through steady management and quality of work, malaysian component manufacturer analog devices has managed to thrive during the storm.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2021
Going Antiviral
The CEO Magazine Asia

Going Antiviral

Chiaphua Industries chief marketing officer and co-founder of Germagic Hamilton Hung has transformed the appliance manufacturer into an antiviral research and development powerhouse. And he has done so with patience and vision.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2021
Risk Vs Return
The CEO Magazine Asia

Risk Vs Return

Add pandemic fallout to a low interest-rate environment and you have a challenge for highnet-worth investors. Where might opportunities lie?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2021
Expect The Unexpected
The CEO Magazine Asia

Expect The Unexpected

For lockton philippines insurance & reinsurance brokers ceo vic valledor, providing affordable premiums for the poorest families is vital, especially considering the recent challenges of the covid-19 pandemic.

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2021
The Ultimate Investments
The CEO Magazine Asia

The Ultimate Investments

With the global economic recovery from the pandemic underway, many analysts are suggesting now is the time to invest – but will whisky, soybeans or bitcoin find a way into your portfolio?

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2021
The Future Of Fintech
The CEO Magazine Asia

The Future Of Fintech

Covid-19 has accelerated the world’s shift to a digital economy, and airwallex co-founder and president Lucy Liu wants to make sure there are more female fintech leaders with her at the top.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2021