Mathieu Sauleau

Global Luxury Retail, Fashion & Hospitality Executive | Board Member | Group COO, Vilebrequin | Former President, Sonia Rykiel | Former CEO Americas

Geneva Metropolitan Area

About

International luxury retail, fashion and hospitality executive with 25+ years of experience across general management, board governance, business transformation and M&A/private equity. Over the past 13+ years, I have held Group COO, CEO Americas, CFO, President and Board Member responsibilities across Vilebrequin and Sonia Rykiel, leading growth, brand relaunch, omnichannel transformation and international expansion across Europe, the U.S., Asia and the Middle East. At Vilebrequin, I have helped scale the business, improve EBITDA margin by 10+ points, lead an organization of 500+ employees across 15+ countries, and build a hospitality platform spanning beach clubs, boutique hotels and branded residences. Before moving into operating leadership, I spent 15 years in M&A and transaction services at Arthur Andersen and EY, leading 50 cross-border transactions totaling EUR 5bn+ for multinational and private equity clients. I work at the intersection of strategy, P&L, governance and execution: scaling brands, relaunching businesses, building high-performing international teams, leading digital and omnichannel transformation, and creating long-term value for shareholders. Focus areas: CEO, President, Managing Director and Board roles in luxury retail, fashion, lifestyle and hospitality.

Experience

  • Vilebrequin (13 yrs 6 mos)
    • Group Chief Operating Officer
      Feb 2014 - Present · 12 yrs 5 mos

      • Partner with the CEO and shareholders to define group strategy, governance, operating priorities and enterprise execution. • Lead global operations across retail, wholesale, e-commerce and hospitality, translating strategy into operating plans, KPIs and performance improvement. • Helped scale revenue and improve EBITDA margin by 10+ points. • Led omnichannel and digital transformation, including One Stock and data initiatives, and improved gross margin and logistics performance. • Built and scaled a hospitality growth platform spanning beach clubs, boutique hotels and branded residences.

    • Board Member
      Jan 2013 - Present · 13 yrs 6 mos

      • Board member bridging governance, shareholder priorities and operational execution.

    • CEO Americas
      Sep 2018 - Sep 2020 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      • Led Americas expansion with responsibility for retail, wholesale and e-commerce.

  • Sonia Rykiel (4 yrs 9 mos)
    • Board Member
      Oct 2021 - Present · 4 yrs 9 mos

      • Support governance, strategic focus and management development during the post-acquisition phase.

    • President
      Oct 2021 - Oct 2023 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      • Led acquisition, integration and relaunch of Sonia Rykiel within G-III Apparel Group. • Rebuilt the organization, infrastructure and teams to restore the brand across Europe, Asia and the U.S. • Re-established the brand in key markets and built a dedicated post-integration operating structure.

  • Secretary General at Fondation Vilebrequin
    Jun 2021 - May 2025 · 4 yrs

    • Led ocean-impact strategy, stakeholder engagement and measurement, reinforcing sustainability credibility.

  • Head of Transaction Services at Ernst & Young
    Jan 2002 - Dec 2012 · 11 yrs

    15 years at Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young dealing with acquisitions, disposals and audits in France, Spain, Uk and Switzerland.  Led complex cross-border transactions totaling €5 bn across retail, consumer, and industrial sectors for multinational and private equity clients.  Advising investment funds and corporations in all matters of Portfolio Strategy, Deal Processing and Execution, assistance to Carve-Out processes, Sell-Side preparation, Business Plans analysis and preparation.  Team structuring and management: Built and led Transaction Services practice in Geneva  Broad and deep technical and sector expertise: Managing various projects related to other lines of services (valuation, real estate, tax, legal, internal control audit, advisory projects) in various geographies.  Internationally minded individual, having worked several years in different geographies – including Spain, France, Switzerland, London – with culturally diverse teams.

  • Manager at Arthur Andersen & Co.
    Sep 1998 - Dec 2001 · 3 yrs 4 mos