Kingfisher's French boss Philippe Tible to step down

Tible runs Kingfisher’s important French business as well as stores in Russia and Poland and leaves at a time of transformation in the division.

Kingfisher is in the process of acquiring French rival Mr Bricolage, and while Tible will step down from the board at the end of July, he will stay with the business until the end of the financial year to help close the deal. Kingfisher is also rolling out a new format in France for its Castorama stores and is expanding Brico Dépôt overseas in countries including Portugal and Romania.

Tible, 62, does not have a job to go to and will not be directly replaced. Instead, Castorama chief executive Véronique Laury and Brico Dépôt boss Alain Souillard will join the group executive team. Kingfisher’s businesses in Poland and Russia will report into Kingfisher group chief executive Sir Ian Cheshire.

Kingfisher chairman Daniel Bernard said: “As we enter a new phase of our development, it is clear that the business needs the next generation of leaders to oversee these plans and so, as a result, Philippe will step down. On behalf of the Kingfisher board I would like to thank him for his very significant contribution over the years and wish him well with his remaining time at Kingfisher and for the future.”

Cheshire said: “I would like to personally thank Philippe for his important work developing our businesses in France, and more recently, Eastern Europe. He has put in place a first class management team and nurtured a pipeline of executive talent which will benefit us enormously in the future.”

Tible said: “We have created a strong business in France and across Europe over the past few years and developed a strong and capable team which will take our businesses through the next phase of their development. I have worked closely with Véronique Laury and Alain Souillard for many years and I welcome their promotion. I wish them well in the future.”