Gucci Group Ousts Roos, Names Barbier CEO of YSL Beaute

Gucci Group has ousted Chantal Roos, France’s most celebrated beauty executive, as the head of its beauty and fragrance division and replaced her with Andrea Barbier.

Gucci Group has appointed Barbier President and CEO of YSL Beaute, the division that controls the luxury group’s fragrance and beauty products. Ross instead has been named Strategic Advisor to Gucci Group for Fragrance and Cosmetics Industry. (Sic). Both appointments will be effective May 2.

Barbier joins YSL Beaute from L’Oreal, where he had been in charge of its Latin American operations for the past three years. Prior to joining L’Oreal in 2001, Barbier spent 10 years at Kraft, where he held various marketing and sales positions. A qualified lawyer, Barbier has an MBA from Italy’s most prestigious business school, Bocconi University in Milan.

“This is a great opportunity for me to take on a business that is in good shape in all areas and offers considerable growth,” Barbier said in a press release.

YSL Beaute controls the beauty and scents businesses of such brands as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Zegna and Roger & Gallet.

“Chantal… leaves a healthy and vibrant business for Andrea to inherit. We look forward to continuing to benefit from Chantal’s knowledge and expertise as she takes up her new role with Gucci Group,” commented Robert Polet, the Dutchman who is CEO of Gucci Group and to whom both Roos and Barbier will report.

Roos joined YSL Beaute in 2000, restoring a troubled division to profitability. She entered the Gucci Group with a sterling brilliant reputation thanks to her two brilliant launches of path breaking scents by Issey Miyake and Jean Paul Gaultier for the scents division of Japanese giant Shiseido.

“It is now the perfect moment for me to devote myself exclusively to what has always been my passion; the development of brands, concepts and trends,” Roos said in the same release.

However, she never achieved the same sort of mega international hit for Gucci Group and was known to have had a tense relationship with Tom Ford, Gucci Group’s former creative director.

Her position appeared to strengthen after Gucci Group’s French owners forced out Ford three years ago; however, her role suddenly appeared rocky last year. On the day after she was awarded a medal for distinguished services to the French beauty industry, journalists were surprised to receive calls from Roos own office explaining that Francois Henri Pinault, the Chairman of the Gucci Group and scion of the French family that controls the world’s third largest luxury conglomerate, did not want them to use any photos of him and Roos together.

* Gucci Group Launching Artist in Film Award * Gucci Group Scores 20% Sales Rise in Opening Half		* Lanvin Partnering with H&M * Coach Opens Ambitiously in Paris