Sébastien Bazin has revealed that he will step down as chairman/CEO of Accor in 2028. The announcement came during the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting on Tuesday.
“I was clear with the board of directors, and the board was equally clear with me—this will be my last term,” said Bazin, who joined the company as CEO in 2013. “And because it’ll be my last term, now’s the time to get to work. Now’s the time to lay the groundwork in terms of succession planning.”
Bazin began his career in finance, working in New York, San Francisco and London. He later became CEO of both Hottinguer Rivaud Finances, an investment bank, and L’Immobilière Hôtelière, a hotel developer in France.
In 1997, he moved to Colony Capital, a private real estate investment firm, to head up its European branch. While there, he joined Accor’s board of directors in 2005. Eight years later, he became chairman/CEO of Accor.
At the end of his statement, Bazin made it clear that his priorities remain focused on the company’s growth.
“I’ll still be around tomorrow morning, and this means that, as we discuss succession planning, we should also continue to manage our day-to-day [and] execute our strategic roadmap,” he said. “The Earth doesn’t stop spinning. We will not stop making the right decisions, and we will keep putting our heads together and do it openly.”
