Greater Paris Metropolitan Region
I believe luxury should be grounded in a long-term horizon, guided by cultural relevance, respect for craft, and structures designed to free and protect creation over time. This conviction now finds a broader expression through MHC Capital, my private investment platform, dedicated to supporting and developing initiatives aligned with these principles across luxury, real assets, and cultural fields. This approach first took shape in 2009, when I co-founded Maison Francis Kurkdjian alongside the eponymous perfumer, with the intention of building a modern fragrance house rooted in creative freedom, quality, and coherence. From the outset, our partnership was deliberately structured around complementarity. While Francis Kurkdjian is the fragrance creator, the house also carries a great deal of my own creativity and sensitivity. And while as President & CEO I drove its strategy and structure, Francis Kurkdjian was an active and valued contributor to that reflection. This balance — creative independence anchored by structural discipline — was central to the house’s ability to grow without dilution. The ambition was never rapid expansion, but relevance and endurance. Over time, this approach established the house as a global reference in high perfumery, leading the category across major markets while preserving its singularity. Growth, recognition, and scale were consequences — not objectives. In 2017, I structured a strategic partnership with LVMH to support long-term development while safeguarding leadership continuity, creative freedom, and governance principles designed to preserve long-term intent. I remained CEO and shareholder by design until April 2026, ensuring continuity and transmission as the house evolved. Before founding Maison Francis Kurkdjian, I built an international career at Ernst & Young, becoming Partner and Global Telecoms Markets Leader at a young age. This experience grounded me in financial discipline, strategic clarity, and execution rigor. My perspective has been shaped by a dual Lebanese–French culture, combining entrepreneurial instinct with a deep respect for craftsmanship, structure, and transmission. Beyond my executive role, I have served as Treasurer and Board of Comité Colbert from May 2020 to April 2026. I am involved in several non for profit initiatives including through a personal endowment fund - Aleph Marc Chaya, that contributes to education and art initiatives. I am a Knight of the French Order of Merit.
MHC Capital is an investment company focused on private equity and direct investments, dedicated to building long-term value across a curated portfolio of sectors. Our investment strategy focuses on: • Luxury — growth and minority investments in high-end brands and experiences. • High-impact initiatives — backing projects with meaningful social and cultural influence. • Real estate — direct investments in distinctive, value-driven assets. • Art — investing in and promoting artistic creation and heritage. MHC Capital brings hands-on experience in brand building, international development and strategic positioning, supporting its partners in accelerating growth and unlocking long-term value. With an entrepreneurial and highly selective approach, MHC Capital seeks opportunities that combine financial performance with purpose, innovation, and enduring relevance.
Strategic Advisor to Véronique Courtois, Chairman and CEO of the LVMH Beauty Division.
I co-founded and built Maison Francis Kurkdjian as a modern luxury fragrance house, conceived to restore free creative expression in perfumery and to place the perfumer back at the core of the house. Our partnership with Francis Kurkdjian was structured around complementarity and trust, combining distinct roles with a constant dialogue between aesthetics and strategy. From the outset, my ambition was to establish a creation-led model, where perfume creation precedes marketing, and where artistic integrity is protected by structure rather than constrained by it. This foundation has allowed the house to grow with coherence while preserving creative freedom. Together with our teams, I upheld uncompromising standards of craft, material quality, and sensorial excellence at the core of the Maison, ensuring these principles remained intact as the house scaled. Early on, I anchored the Maison internationally by establishing a wholly owned subsidiary in the United States, making it a core market. Supported by strong local and global teams, I led the patient construction of category leadership in the U.S., followed by expansion across more than fifty markets, with the creation of six subsidiaries and the development of long-term partnerships with leading retailers worldwide. In close dialogue with Francis Kurkdjian, I oversaw innovation, brand building, and the global deployment of marketing strategies designed to privilege cultural resonance over volume and acceleration. In 2017, I structured a strategic partnership with LVMH to support the Maison’s long-term development, with a governance framework designed to ensure my continued leadership as CEO and a gradual, deliberate transition through April 2026. Over this period, the house experienced significant growth, with sales increasing twentyfold in nine years, while maintaining strong profitability and consistent cash generation.
I built my formative professional years at Ernst & Young in an environment defined by rigor, pace, and a high bar for excellence. I progressed from junior auditor to Partner in less than 10 years - a firm record, becoming Global Telecoms Markets Leader at age 32. This trajectory grounded me in financial discipline, strategic analysis, and complex project management across multi-country and multi-stakeholder environments. Advising major international clients on growth strategy, market entry, transformation, and governance required precision, accountability, and the ability to deliver under sustained pressure — skills that proved foundational in later entrepreneurial leadership. Beyond technical expertise, Ernst & Young instilled a culture of excellence: structured thinking, respect for process, and uncompromising execution. These principles continue to inform how I design organizations, scale businesses, and steward long-term value. Key dates: 1997 : joined EY as a Junior in October 1999 : early promoted to Senior 2001 : early promoted to Manager 2002 : early promoted to Senior Manager 2005 : appointed Global Telecoms Markets Leader 2007 : promoted to Partner in May
I joined AIDES, the leading French NGO in the fight against HIV, as a financial controller while completing my second Master’s degree in Paris, following my graduation from EM Lyon. This experience proved deeply formative. Beyond financial planning and control, it shaped my understanding of resilience, commitment, and the importance of standing for what is right. Working at AIDES exposed me to exceptional individuals who dedicated their talent and energy to supporting people living with HIV and confronting a pandemic that was claiming so many lives. After joining EY in 1997, I remained actively involved in the governance of the organization, serving as Treasurer and Board Member. I later co-founded LINK, an endowment fund dedicated to mobilizing private support for AIDES’ programs. https://www.aides.org