AUSTRALIA | Mandarin Oriental International Limited announced the appointment of Cristina Diezhandino and Fabrice Megarbane to its Board as Independent Non-Executive Directors.
“I am delighted to welcome Cristina and Fabrice to our Board. Cristina’s extensive experience and Fabrice’s track record will significantly bolster our Board’s expertise,” said Chairman Ben Keswick.
“Their appointments support our ambition to broaden the diversity of experience and backgrounds within our Board, a key element of good governance and decision-making.”
Cristina Diezhandino has joined the board with a distinguished track record as the chief marketing officer and a member of Diageo’s executive committee. She has worked at Diageo for over 18 years and held various senior management roles.
In her current role, Diezhandino is responsible for the marketing, innovation, and digital transformation of some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Diageo’s luxury division.
Since being appointed as Chief Marketing Officer in July 2020, she has led the transformation of Diageo’s portfolio, elevating and embedding its brands into premium consumer spaces and developing Diageo’s offering of luxury experiences and Brand Homes around the world.
Since 2021, she has been featured on Forbes' World’s Most Influential CMOs List, and in 2022, the World Federation of Advertisers named her Global Marketer of the Year. Before joining Diageo, she also held marketing leadership roles at Allied Domecq and Unilever in the United States, UK, and Spain.
Fabrice Megarbane brings equally extensive expertise from his role as Chief Global Growth Officer of L’Oréal and as a member of L’Oreal’s executive committee. In his role, he will directly oversee the eight regions, retail and e-commerce, and the group's cross-functional business transformation projects.
Megarbane was previously President and CEO of L’Oréal North Asia and CEO of L’Oréal China, managing a combined revenue of more than EUR 10 billion and leading an organisation of 20,000 people.
His 24-year career at L’Oréal encompasses marketing and multi-market experience across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Germany, China, and North Asia.
“The new director appointments of Cristina and Fabrice, two world-class marketing and business professionals, are essential in supporting our brand-led and guest-centric transformation. Their combined expertise in brand management, premiumisation, digital transformation, and immersive luxury experiences will be invaluable as we continue to elevate the Mandarin Oriental brand and deliver unparalleled luxury experiences to our guests,” said Group Chief Executive Laurent Kleitman.
“Their deep global experiences and value-based leadership culture will help support the transformation of the Mandarin Oriental Group. The appointment also underscores our commitment to generating strong returns for our owners and partners and creating value for our shareholders. I am thrilled to partner with Cristina and Fabrice to unfold Mandarin Oriental’s potential.”
Their appointment enhances the breadth of experience and expertise within Mandarin Oriental’s governance structure. The Board now comprises 44 percent Independent Non-Executive Directors.
