Groupe SEB Appoints Loïc Moutault as Chief Executive

French household appliance maker Groupe SEB, owner of brands including Tefal, Moulinex and Rowenta, has named Loïc Moutault as its new chief executive officer, effective 1 October 2026. He succeeds Stanislas de Gramont, who departed the role on 30 September, the company said in a statement.

From Pet Care to Kitchenware

Moutault joins Groupe SEB after more than 30 years with the Mars group, where he most recently served as president of Mars Petcare’s global division, a segment the company values at more than $30 billion, and earlier led the petcare brand Royal Canin for nearly eight years. Groupe SEB chairman Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise said Moutault’s international experience and knowledge of global brands and consumers, along with his ability to mobilise complex organisations, would be “major assets” for the group. Moutault, in turn, called it “an honour to join” the French family-owned industrial company.

Split Leadership Structure Maintained

Groupe SEB is keeping the separation between its chairman and chief executive roles, with de La Tour d’Artaise remaining chairman of the board while Moutault takes day-to-day operational control. De Gramont, who had led the group since 2022, said in a statement that it had been an honour to lead the company and thanked its teams for their commitment. Groupe SEB’s portfolio spans small kitchen appliances, cookware and professional coffee equipment sold under brands including Tefal, Moulinex, Rowenta, Krups and WMF, with manufacturing and sales operations across dozens of countries.

Why It Matters

The appointment of an outsider from the pet-care sector, rather than a long-serving internal candidate, signals that Groupe SEB’s board wants fresh perspective as it navigates a competitive global small-appliance market shaped by input-cost pressures, shifting consumer habits and growing competition from Asian manufacturers. How Moutault adapts petcare-honed brand-management experience to cookware and small appliances will be an early test of the transition, and his appointment will be watched closely by rivals in a sector where private-label and lower-cost competitors have been gaining ground.