Rémy Cointreau launches three-year transformation plan to revive growth

Rémy Cointreau has unveiled its ‘RC Forward’ transformation plan, which it hopes will boost profitability and regain market momentum.

The three-year strategy is aimed at maximising the potential of its portfolio of spirits, which include Cognac Rémy Martin, Cointreau, Mount Gay rum, Bruichladdich whisky and the Botanist gin.

The Paris-headquartered firm is deploying five levers to achieve its aims, comprising strengthening its distribution network’s efficiency; enhancing revenue growth management via refining approaches to products, pricing, formats and promotions; maximising the impact of marketing investments; optimising procurement structure; and evolving the organisation by clarifying responsibilities and streamlining decision-making processes.

Franck Marilly, chief executive of Rémy Cointreau, said: “After three years marked by a complex environment, it is time for Rémy Cointreau to stand out within its industry.

“RC Forward plan aims to give us the means to generate our own value creation momentum and thus become less dependent on macroeconomic cycles. It also seeks to strengthen the entrepreneurial and conquering mindset of our teams, building on the group’s culture while instilling greater discipline, rigour and performance focus.

“Our ambition is clear: to sustainably improve profitability in order to generate additional resources to reinvest in growth.”

Rémy Cointreau will establish a steering committee within its executive committee, which will report to the CEO. The committee will comprise Mélanie Bulourde, group chief operations and corporate social responsibility officer; Clarisse Petit, group chief human resources officer; Luca Marotta, who has been appointed as deputy CEO while continuing to oversee finance, IT and legal; Ian McLernon, who has become group chief markets officer and will oversee all regions, including a new emerging markets area created to strengthen the development of high-potential markets; plus a group chief brands officer, who will be appointed at a later stage, with Marilly assuming this responsibility in the interim.

The French group has also created a prestige division overseeing brands including cognac Louis XIII, Champagne Telmont and perfume house Maison Psyché, and a chief transformation officer role for the duration of the transformation plan.

Furthermore, Rémy Cointreau is adding two cross-functional roles: Douglas Taylor will oversee the group’s innovation lab, which will play a major role in exploring and analysing consumption trends and new growth opportunities, and Sophie Phe is assuming responsibility for the company’s executive lab, dedicated to accelerating execution speed and implementing transformation initiatives.

The group will share initial progress of its plan in its annual results released on 4 June. Rémy Cointreau reported sales of €735.4m (£640.5m) in the nine months of its 2025-26 financial year between April and December 2025, representing an organic decline of 1.9%.

In 2024, Lee James joined Rémy Cointreau as managing director of the UK, Ireland and Nordics region.