Bernard de Nonancourt

Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Bernard de Nonancourt has been actively involved in the world of champagne his whole life, having grown-up, worked, fought and lived in it since he was a child. His ardent and courageous entrepreneurial spirit and the will to build a team who would focus on creating a unique brand were the impulse that took the company from 100th place worldwide in 1949 to being the fourth largest group today.

It was Bernard’s mother, Marie-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt, who, in 1938 purchased a small champagne house suspecting its great potential. Bernard’s older brother Maurice was supposed to take over, but was killed in a concentration camp, as he and Bernard were involved in the French Resistance movement. Many of Bernard’s accomplishments and experiences are recounted in Wine & War, a book written by Don and Petie Kladstrup.

Bernard studied at the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce in Reims (Reims’ top business school) then started his training from scratch. Indeed, it was his mother who wanted him to learn by himself everything there was to know about his profession before taking over the direction of the House. Thus, he started manual work in the vineyards and in the cellars before becoming an administrative staff and salesman. Bernard de Nonancourt is therefore one of very few managers of a major champagne House who has fully been in his colleagues and workers’ positions.

Pursuing his formal training for several years at different champagne Houses, including Lanson which was owned by his family, he eventually took the reins of Laurent-Perrier in 1949.

Under his impetus, the House went through a rapid and amazing growth in which he played a key operational role in two fields, first in strengthening relationships with Champagne grape-growers and then building up a clientele worldwide.

As Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Champagne Laurent-Perrier, Bernard de Nonancourt oversees the long-term company strategy. He is also a member of several groups and organisations in the world of business and hospitality.

Since the arrival of Maurice de Kervénoaël in July 2005, Bernard de Nonacourt has become Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board. The baton is now being taken up by his two daughters, Alexandra and Stéphanie, who will one day lead Laurent-Perrier into its future.

 

Stéphane Tsassis
Chairman of the Management Board

Stéphane Tsassis was appointed Chairman of the Management Board from 1 January 2009.

Father of three Stéphane Tsassis (42) is a graduate of the Institut Supérieur de Gestion, the Manhattan Institute of Management in New York and of the International Management University of Asia in Tokyo.

Most of his career to date has been in the fragrance sector and it was here, over a period of 17 years, that he acquired wide-ranging experience in the world of these luxury products.

From 1992 to 1996, he was Area Manager in the UK and Ireland for Sanofi Beauté (Yves Saint Laurent, Parfums Van Cleef & Arpels, Oscar de la Renta, Roger & Gallet).

From 1996 to 2000, he managed the Jean Paul Gaultier Parfums and Issey Miyake fragrance brands, first as Regional Manager, Asia, then as head of Travel Retail International. In 2000 he moved to Maison Guerlain, initially as Director for France and Europe, and then, from 2002 to 2005, as International Director and a member of the Executive Committee.

From July 2005 and until he returned to France to join Laurent-Perrier, he was Chairman of Guerlain’s Japanese subsidiary and a member of the Guerlain Executive Committee. During this period, following a drive to enhance the Guerlain brand image, sales and distribution improved, market share grew, and the profitability of the Japanese subsidiary increased.

 

Yves Dumont

Chairman of the Laurent-Perrier Développement

Yves Dumont joined Laurent-Perrier in June 1997 as Chairman of the Management Board. He has brought great expertise to Laurent-Perrier in the area of international business and brands' building. He has a rigorous approach to business and team's management.

A graduate of France's renowned business school HEC (Hautes Etudes Commerciales), he is a former CEO of Tropicana Europe of the Seagram Group (1990-1995) and former CEO of Green Giant Europe (1984-1990). He also held several management positions with Biscuits Belin - Nabisco (1973-1979) and Unilever where he first started his career.

Yves Dumont created Laurent-Perrier's subsidiaries in the United States and Belgium after recognising the great potential of these two markets.

He also set up the IPO for Laurent-Perrier in June 1999 and restructured the distribution's strategy of the company.

Yves Dumont is a member of the of the Champagne House Union Council (UMC) and a dignitary of the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne, the oldest Champagne fraternity, of which he was Commandeur from 2003 to 2005.

In January 2009 Yves Dumont was appointed Chairman of Laurent-Perrier Développement, where he will provide Group development and strategic direction advisory and assistance services. He will also monitor Laurent-Perrier’s relations within the profession and its trade bodies.

 

Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt and Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt

Alexandra and Stéphanie, the two daughters of Bernard de Nonancourt, hold the future of Laurent-Perrier.

Brought-up in Tours-sur-Marne, home of Champagne Laurent-Perrier, the siblings have been exposed to the champagne industry from childhood.

Before joining the family House, each acquired previous experience. Today, they are members of the Management Board and of the Image Committee.

After graduating as interior designer, Alexandra started her working life with work experience in a prestigious House in Paris and was Artistic Consultant at Paco Rabanne from 1985 to 1987.

Her father then entrusted her with the realisation of promotional commercial tools for the champagne House.

It was in 1990 at Laurent-Perrier UK that she made her first experience of working abroad, alongside training in marketing.

Back in France, she took charge of the company's brand image in 1992 - a position she has been holding for more than 12 years.

Stéphanie's background is in communication. Passionated by the arts' world, she pursued a PR and marketing career with Sotheby's in London and Paris.

In 1995, she decided to share her experience with Laurent-Perrier, setting up its PR and Press Department. She also organised the first themed-parties for the Cuvée Rosé Brut and Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut.

The two sisters are fully involved in far-reaching events, concentrating particularly on the strategy and development of the House. Slated to assume ownership of the Champagne house, both defend its values and independent spirit. They also represent the majority shareholders and are behind the inspiration for the company's active strategy.

 

Michel Fauconnet

Cellar Master

Michel Fauconnet first joined Laurent-Perrier in August 1973 doing work experience in the cellars after getting a certificate in agricultural engineering at the Agriculural College of Rethel (in the Ardennes region). He has acquired his experience on the ground.

His professional progress in production, where he knows all the jobs from doing them in the first place, led him to become Production Director and 'Chef de Cave', Laurent-Perrier's Cellar Master, a position held since February 2004.

Michel Fauconnet climbed the ladder at Laurent-Perrier where he first worked as a manual worker from 1974 to 1976 before being promoted to technical staff in 1980. A year later, he received the accolade of 'Chef de Cercle' and was responsible for Laurent-Perrier's winery and the fermentation's process of all of Laurent-Perrier's wines.

Michel Fauconnet took over from Alain Terrier, who retired after 30 years and of whom he was Executive Deputy. For more than 20 years and alongside Alain Terrier - a man who was good at training and loved to pass on his knowledge - they created pleasurable wines based on solid know-how and building strong relationships with grape-growers.

At his side, Mr Fauconnet also assimilated his oenology knowledge and worked hand-in-hand with a close-knit team he has now made his own.

Michel Fauconnet has spent his entire working life at Laurent-Perrier and is dedicated to the company with whom he shares a passion for champagne and family values built on perfection and great expectation.

Fond of sport and a football lover, he played at top level at the Stade de Reims. He is a thorough man with a strong personality who has won the respect of grape growers and the Champagne community.