Lionel Giraud new Vuarnet CEO, to relaunch the brand

By

Jean-Paul Leroy

Published
May 20, 2015

With all of Vuarnet's activities brought together under the banner of its new owner, NEO Investment Partners, all that was needed was a new management team and to define a strategy to revitalise a legendary French brand, above all known for its eyewear and ski attire.

To do this, Daniel Belhassen, founder and leader of the investment firm, called upon the former president of André, part of Vivarte, Lionel Giraud. It's true that Giraud has spent most of his career in the brand world. He started at Cartier from 1998 to 2001, where he notably oversaw the watch division, and then moved onto Chaumet (LVMH) where he was Vice President and Artistic Director for ten years before joining André, where he stayed for two years.
 
To assist him, Lionel Giraud has called upon another brand specialist, Luc Zeltner, to serves as Director of Development. He was the Managing Director of the concept store Merci, after holding positions at Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Lacoste.

The goal of the new team is to bring back a general coherence to Vuarnet by guiding it as a global brand. "It's important to know that there are three logos today. There were several activities, eyewear, sportswear and ski apparel, with people who weren't talking amongst themselves."
 
The idea is to lean on Vuarnet's identity as a brand of expertise. "The world needs to know that we have our own eyeglass manufacturers in France where mineral lenses are manufactured. It's a real asset," emphasises the new president. "It's a bit like watch brands who manufacture their own mechanical movements."
 
For Lionel Giraud, Vuarnet is not strictly a sports brand nor is it a fashion brand. "The idea is to position Vuarnet as a brand in motion, a mobile one."