Key Highlights

  • Coty appointed Soraya Benchikh as Chief Financial Officer, effective September 1, succeeding Laurent Mercier.
  • Benchikh most recently served as CFO of British American Tobacco and previously held senior roles at BAT, Diageo, General Electric, and Gillette across more than two decades in finance and general management.
  • The appointment follows the new operating structure Coty introduced on July 2, which brought commercial decision-making closer to individual markets and combined Research and Development with Supply chain into a single function.
  • Benchikh will join Coty's Executive Committee and report directly to Markus Strobel, the company's Executive Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer.

New CFO to Join Amid Broader Organizational Changes

Coty (NYSE:COTY) named Soraya Benchikh as its next Chief Financial Officer, effective September 1, succeeding Laurent Mercier. The appointment follows the operating structure the company introduced on July 2, which brought commercial decision-making closer to the markets Coty serves and combined research and development with supply chain into a single function.

Markus Strobel, Coty's Executive Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer, said Benchikh is a seasoned global executive with a strong record of financial and operational leadership, calling her the right leader for the company's next phase. He also thanked Mercier for strengthening Coty's financial foundation over the past five years, crediting him with building greater financial discipline and a clearer financial roadmap.

Benchikh Brings Two Decades of Global Finance Experience

Benchikh brings more than two decades of international finance and general management experience across major global consumer goods companies. She most recently served as CFO of British American Tobacco, where she also held roles including President of BAT France, Area Director for East and Southern Africa, and Regional Finance Director for Europe. Before BAT, she spent nearly four years at Diageo, most recently as President, Europe, and began her finance career at General Electric and Gillette. She will join Coty's Executive Committee and report directly to Strobel.

Benchikh said Coty holds one of the strongest portfolios in global beauty and that Mercier leaves the finance function in strong shape. She said she is joining at a pivotal moment in the company's transformation, with plans to focus on strengthening the balance sheet, sharpening Capital allocation, and supporting the next phase of value creation.

Conclusion

The appointment places a finance executive with deep consumer goods experience at the center of Coty's ongoing organizational overhaul, following the operating changes the company introduced earlier this summer. How Benchikh's stated priorities around Balance Sheet strength and capital allocation translate into specific financial targets will likely become clearer once she formally steps into the role in September.