Arnaud Lagardère, the 63-year-old executive, has been reinstated as CEO of Lagardère SA after a court decision in his favor. The group confirmed in a press release that the management ban measure against him had been partially lifted, allowing him to resume his role as CEO. The board of directors unanimously designated him as CEO following this decision.
Lagardère stepped down from his executive mandates in April after being indicted on allegations of financing his lifestyle and personal expenses using funds from Lagardère SAS and Lagardère. However, his lawyers appealed the decision, resulting in a court ruling in his favor. While his indictment remains in effect elsewhere, he is now authorized to manage the Lagardère group.
Lagardère expressed his gratitude to the group’s directors, shareholders, and particularly the Bolloré family for their trust and support during this time. Following his temporary departure, Jean-Christophe Thiery had served as interim CEO. With his return as CEO, Lagardère is now back at the helm of the group, with plans to resume his leadership roles across all subsidiaries.
The businessman underwent questioning by financial investigating judges in April leading to the opening of a judicial investigation by the national financial prosecutor’s office for acts committed between 2009 and 2022. Despite this legal battle he was able to prove that there was no wrong doing on his part and get himself back into position as CEO of Lagardère SA
