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Düsseldorf, 14 October 2026 – Jean-Marc Bellaiche will become the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Europe’s leading premium beauty retailer, the DOUGLAS Group. He succeeds Sander van der Laan, who, after a career of 36 years in the international retail business including four years with the DOUGLAS Group, has decided to retire as an executive. The Supervisory Board of Douglas AG today appointed Jean-Marc Bellaiche as CEO with effect from 1 November 2026 for a term of four years.

“This important change in the leadership at the top of the company has been prepared very thoughtfully and carefully, ensuring a smooth and professional transition”, said Dr. Henning Kreke, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Douglas AG. “We truly regret Sander van der Laan’s decision to retire, while fully respecting his choice after a long and successful career. With his departure, the DOUGLAS Group loses an outstanding leader and highly experienced retail executive who has played a pivotal role in the successful development of the Group. At the same time, we are very pleased to have appointed Jean-Marc Bellaiche, a highly experienced executive in international retail and luxury, with a strong track record across beauty, premium department stores, digital transformation, brand building and strategy. We are convinced that he will build on the progress already made and put even more focus on customer-centricity, beauty brand partnerships and operational excellence.” 

“I would like to thank the Supervisory Board of the Douglas AG for the confidence it has placed in me”, said Bellaiche. “I am particularly excited to join the Group at such an important moment in the evolution of the beauty industry. The DOUGLAS Group plays a leading role in the European premium beauty market and has a manifold of unique assets, including an outstanding omnichannel footprint, a large base of loyal customers, and an attractive assortment based on close relationships with beauty brands. I look forward to building on these strengths together with the management team and all my colleagues across 22 European countries, while driving the innovations and changes needed to succeed in a rapidly changing market environment.”

Van der Laan said: “I am incredibly grateful for my time at the DOUGLAS Group. I have met many inspiring people, learned a great deal about premium beauty, and, together with around 20,000 colleagues, we have made significant progress. The decision to step down was not an easy one for me. But after a 36-year career, including senior leadership roles at highly respected retail companies in Europe and the United States, I feel that the time is right to retire from executive management. This is the right moment to hand over the reins to someone who can bring fresh thinking and new ideas.” 

The 56 year old Frenchman Bellaiche began his career at Boston Consulting Group in 1993, where he eventually became Managing Director and Global Leader of the Luxury, Fashion and Beauty sector. In 2014, he joined Tiffany & Co. as Senior Vice President and member of the Executive Committee. He subsequently held senior leadership and board positions in the technology companies Contentsquare and Arianee. After spending a decade in the United States, he moved back to Europe in 2020 to become CEO of Printemps Group, which includes the iconic French department store chain. During his five-year mandate, he strengthened Printemps’s distinctiveness and customer-centricity, introduced more exclusivities in the assortment, accelerated its international and omnichannel development, and improved the operating profitability. For the last year, he served as CEO of the luxury resort operator Sani/Ikos Group.

Sander van der Laan joined the DOUGLAS Group in October 2022. Since then, he has successfully driven the transformation of the Düsseldorf-based company into a true omnichannel business and implemented significant strategic, operational, and structural improvements. Among his key achievements are a new category and exclusive-brands strategy and a comprehensive update of the store-format and -network strategy. He also comprehensively reorganized the Group‘s supply chain, further developed the digital platforms, implemented a comprehensive ESG strategy, and harmonized internal processes and structures. In 2024, the company was listed on the stock exchange. Van der Laan has also been deeply committed to further developing the corporate culture and introduced the purpose ‘Make life more beautiful’.

Dr. Kreke said: “On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I would like to thank Sander van der Laan for his outstanding achievements and dedication to the company. We wish him all the best for this new chapter in his life. We also wish Jean-Marc Bellaiche a successful start in his new role at the DOUGLAS Group and look forward to working with him as he leads the company together with CFO Marco Giorgetta, the entire management team and all employees into its next phase of development.”

About the DOUGLAS Group

The DOUGLAS Group, with its commercial brands DOUGLAS, NOCIBÉ, Parfumdreams and Niche Beauty, is the number one omnichannel premium beauty destination in Europe. The DOUGLAS Group is inspiring customers to live their own kind of beauty by offering a unique assortment online and in around 1,970 stores. With unparalleled size and access to customers, the DOUGLAS Group is the partner of choice for brands and offers a premium range of selective and exclusive brands as well as own corporate brands. The assortment includes fragrances, color cosmetics, skin care, hair care, accessories as well as beauty services. Strengthening its successful omnichannel positioning while consistently developing superior customer experience is at the heart of the DOUGLAS Group strategy “Let it Bloom”. The winning business model is underpinned by the Group’s omnichannel proposition, leading brands, and data capabilities. In the financial year 2024/2025, the DOUGLAS Group generated sales of 4.58 billion euros and employed more than 19,900 people across Europe. The DOUGLAS Group (Douglas AG) is listed at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

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