Maisons du Monde: John Browett replaces François-Melchior de Polignac as chief executive
François-Melchior de Polignac stepped down from his role as chief executive of Maisons du Monde on October 26, 2026, with John Browett taking over from October 27, 2026. The retailer has also recruited Marc Ténart, former leader of Kingfisher France, Conforama and Lapeyre, as deputy chief executive officer.
Chairman of the board assumes chief executive role on an interim basis
At a meeting held on October 26, 2026, the board of directors of Maisons du Monde decided to appoint John Browett as chief executive of the group, effective October 27, 2026. He will exercise this role in addition to his position as chairman of the board of directors, which he has held since June 26, 2025.
This dual role is intended to last until the completion of the recruitment process for a new chief executive, launched by the board of directors. John Browett previously served as chief executive officer of Dunelm plc, a British home furnishings and décor retailer.
François-Melchior de Polignac stated: "I would like to thank the teams at Maisons du Monde for all the work accomplished over the past three years and wish the Group every success."
Marc Ténart, an expert in retail and home improvement
Marc Ténart began his career in 1992 at Disneyland Paris, holding various financial positions. He joined Castorama France in 2000, then became chief executive officer of Brico Dépôt in Spain in 2008. Appointed chief executive of Castorama France in 2014, he took over the leadership of Kingfisher France in 2017, which brings together Castorama and Brico Dépôt.
He subsequently led Conforama from 2019 onwards, then chaired the Lapeyre group from 2021 to 2024. He also served as chairman of the Federation of Home Improvement and Home Enhancement Retailers.
According to the statement, the new management team will work with the executive committee on several priorities: product availability, quality of customer experience, performance of stores and digital channels, cost control and cash flow optimization.
