Mandarin Oriental International Limited is delighted to announce the appointment of Cristina Diezhandino and Fabrice Megarbane to its Board as Independent Non-Executive Directors, effective 1 August 2024. These appointments will support Mandarin Oriental’s new strategy as a brand-led, guest-centric, global luxury hospitality group.
Cristina Diezhandino joins the Board with a distinguished track record as the Chief Marketing Officer and a member of Diageo’s Executive Committee. Cristina has worked at Diageo for over 18 years and has held a range of senior management roles. In her current role, Cristina 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, Cristina has featured on Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs List and in 2022, she was named Global Marketer of the Year by the World Federation of Advertisers. Prior to joining Diageo, Cristina held marketing leadership roles at Allied Domecq and at 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, Fabrice oversees directly the eight regions as well as retail and e-commerce and all cross-functional business transformation projects of the group. Fabrice 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 organization 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. Fabrice is renowned for his deep consumer focus, brand-building acumen, and extensive experience in business and digital transformation.
The appointments of Cristina Diezhandino and Fabrice Megarbane enhance the breadth of experience and expertise within Mandarin Oriental’s governance structure. The Board now comprises 44% Independent Non-Executive Directors.
Chairman Ben Keswick commented, “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. 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.”
Group Chief Executive Laurent Kleitman commented, “The new director appointments of Cristina and Fabrice, two world-class marketing and business professionals, are extremely important 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. Their deep global experiences, as well as their value-based leadership culture, will help support the transformation of Mandarin Oriental Group. These appointments also underscore 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.”
