A division set to change scale
At Edmond de Rothschild, wealth management remains the core business. Yet for several years the Swiss family-owned group, led by Ariane de Rothschild, has been building a more delicate and more visible territory: lifestyle, bringing together wines, fragrances and hotels.
To steer the new Art de Vivre & Culture division, which is set to expand significantly, the group’s chief executive has chosen Laurent Boillot, who will be responsible for its development. The appointment reflects a clear ambition: to turn these assets into an additional lever for winning and retaining private banking clients.
Three decades at the great houses
A graduate of ESC Rouen, Laurent Boillot began his career in 1988 at Havas Advertising in New York before joining Unilever in 1990. He spent twelve years there, holding marketing roles in Paris, then serving as marketing director in Spain and as Vice-President Hair Europe.
His career, however, remains most closely associated with Guerlain, which he joined in 2002 as marketing director. Appointed managing director in 2005, he became president of the fragrance and cosmetics house in 2007 and oversaw its international expansion until 2019.
He then took the helm of Hennessy, the world’s leading cognac house, within the LVMH group. He subsequently held a senior executive role at LVMH until January 2026. Since 2014, he has also been the founder and head of the skincare brand Cha Ling – L’Esprit du Thé.
Standing recognised across the industry
From June 2022 to June 2026, Laurent Boillot chaired the Comité Colbert, the association that unites France’s leading luxury houses in defending their savoir-faire. He handed over the presidency to Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, chief executive of Boucheron, a Kering group house.
Ariane de Rothschild is thus bringing on board an executive who knows luxury from the inside, both as the head of international brands and as a representative of the sector as a whole.
Hospitality, the showcase of the Rothschild art de vivre
Hospitality holds a special place in this world. Edmond de Rothschild Heritage, the group’s lifestyle arm, brings together wine estates, agricultural activities and hotels, including the Domaine du Mont d’Arbois in Megève, operated in partnership with Four Seasons. Its governance was renewed in summer 2025 with the appointment of Eric Bastard de Crisnay and Arthur Lassale.
A project personally championed by Ariane de Rothschild, the Four Seasons Resort Megève joined the Collection Palace in 2026. The distinction crowns a family commitment to the resort dating back to 1920, when Noémie de Rothschild envisioned Mont d’Arbois as a winter sports destination.
Analysis – The arrival of an executive from the worlds of fragrance, cosmetics and spirits places the group’s hotel assets within a brand-ecosystem logic, in service of its relationship with private banking clients. How the new division will work alongside the Edmond de Rothschild Heritage teams has not yet been detailed.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Edmond de Rothschild hires ex-Guerlain and Hennessy chief to lead lifestyle push
Laurent Boillot appointed head of Edmond de Rothschild’s new Art de Vivre & Culture division
Mandate: scale the group’s wines, fragrances and hospitality assets alongside private banking
Former President & CEO of Guerlain (2007-2019) and Hennessy (LVMH)
Chaired the Comité Colbert from 2022 to 2026
Hospitality portfolio includes Four Seasons Resort Megève, awarded Palace status in 2026
