The International Association of Department Stores (IADS) has selected its new leadership duo. At the 66th General Assembly in Hong Kong on November 12, members elected Nicolas Houzé, chair of the Galeries Lafayette Group’s executive board, as president of the organisation. He will be supported by Francisco Irarrázaval, managing director of Falabella Retail, who has been appointed vice-president.
IADS members – IADS
This marks a return to the helm for Houzé, who resumes leadership of the IADS seven years after his first term, while Galeries Lafayette has been a long-standing member of the association since 1960.
Aged 50, Houzé succeeds Kamshim Lau of Lifestyle International Holdings Limited (Sogo Hong Kong). The French executive became chair of the family group’s executive board in 2024, having led the Department Stores division (Galeries Lafayette) from 2013 to 2024. He also serves as chair of the Comité stratégique de filière (CSF) Mode et Luxe and of the Union du Commerce de Centre-Ville (UCV).
While the French executive is well acquainted with the association’s leadership, the election of Irarrázaval as vice-president is a first for Falabella Retail. The South American group has been a member of the IADS since 2006. Aged 50 and a Harvard alumnus, he has been managing director of Falabella’s department stores division (Chile, Colombia and Peru) since 2021.
The executive committee is rounded out by Kamshim Lau, Holger Blecker (CEO of Breuninger), Olivier Bron (CEO of Bloomingdale’s) and Peter King (Magasin du Nord).
“IADS provides a unique strategic platform where sharing expertise, access to powerful tools and the ability to anticipate trends enable us to turn challenges into opportunities,” said the new president in a statement. “Our ambition is to reinforce the global leadership of department stores and prepare the future of retail.”
IADS, which recently welcomed John Lewis & Partners, now provides practical tools such as Retail Hub (technology sourcing), RH-ISAC (cyber security) and Newstores (retail trends). It also runs the IADS Academy, a mentoring programme for young talent.
Together, IADS members account for more than €40.5 billion in combined revenue, with 549 stores and 251,000 employees across 28 countries.
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