Mandarin Oriental announced that Laurent Kleitman has been appointed as Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental International Limited with effect from 1st September 2023. He will succeed James Riley who has been the Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental since 2016 and will be stepping down. Laurent was most recently the President and Chief Executive of Parfums Christian Dior.

He was responsible for the business globally, managing the luxury brand's perfume, make-up, and skincare categories. Prior to joining LVMH in 2019,Laurent was President of the Consumer Beauty division of Coty, a NYSE listed leading beauty company with a portfolio of well-known brands across fragrance, colour cosmetics, and skin and body care. Prior to that, he spent 25 years at Unilever and held global and regional leadership roles covering the UK, Europe, and Asia, across its personal care, home care, and food businesses.

Laurent's career has centred on building iconic brands. He has led the creation and evolution of new and historic brands as well as growth strategies focused on customer-centric innovation and experience. He has also built digital platforms for brands, and expanded brands into new markets and new product lines.

James will step down as Chief Executive on 31st July 2023, however he will be available to support the management team until Laurent begins on 1st September 2023.