Denis Hennequin to Become Chairman & CEO of Accor

Accor's Board of Directors has confirmed that Gilles Pélisson, Chairman & CEO of Accor will leave the company on 15 January 2011.

Denis Hennequin has consequently been appointed as Executive Director with effect from 1 December 2010. Yann Caillère will retain his position as Deputy CEO.

To help ensure a smooth handover, Gilles Pélisson will continue to act as Chairman of the Board of Directors, in a non-executive capacity, until 15 January 2011, on which date Denis Hennequin will assume the position of Chairman & CEO of Accor.

Philippe Citerne, Vice-Chairman of Accor's Board of Directors, said, "The Board is unanimous in thanking Gilles Pélisson for his crucial contribution to Accor's development. Over the last five years at the head of the Group, Gilles has successfully led every stage in the Group's transformation, and in this way has made an enormous contribution to strengthening Accor's position as a world leader and improving the Group's financial performance against a backdrop of economic recovery."

 Denis Hennequin, 52, has been a director of Accor since May 2009. He started his career with McDonald’s in 1984. After occupying different operational positions in France, he was appointed Chairman & CEO of McDonald’s Europe in 2005.

In this capacity, he notably played a key role in the chain's development in Europe by implementing a strategy based on development of franchising and a policy of profitable, dynamic and ambitious growth. He also made a large contribution to redefining the McDonald's restaurant concept on the global scale and was responsible for setting up effective management of the Group's cost base.

Over his 26 years with McDonald’s, he has proved his credentials as a visionary and manager and made Europe one of the largest contributors to the Group's results. Today, McDonald's Europe represents approximately 20% of the group's total restaurant base and generates almost 40% of its total operating profit.

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