Overview
Patrick Gournay is a transformational, global CEO. He has held senior executive roles with renowned consumer brands, including serving as the first external CEO of The Body Shop International, a pioneer in the ethical, natural beauty products industry. He brings over 20 years of CEO leadership experience in high-growth, restructuring, and turnaround environments. At The ExCo Group, he has mentored company founders, CEOs, and emerging C-suite executives in the banking, engineering, mining, and pharmaceutical industries. In addition, he has helped first-time CEOs successfully prepare and navigate the IPO process.
"Patrick asked the right questions, and then, rather than giving me answers, he kept asking questions. It made me form my own solutions. On the key challenges that we identified, our discussions pushed me to come up with answers. As a guy who has been there, Patrick was probably biting his tongue because the answers were so obvious, but his questions made me look at new angles to form what I think is a pretty robust course of action."
– Executive Board Member & CSO, Leading Global Design, Consultancy, Engineering & Management Services Firm
Career History
His C-suite executive experience began with Danone International, the world leading food company, where Gournay served as Administratore Delegato of Danone Italy. He soon became CEO of Dannon USA. Under his leadership, he doubled sales and increased profitability by 10 times over six years. His executive responsibilities were then extended to Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, where he increased market share in the dairy and water businesses.
As global CEO of The Body Shop International, Gournay worked directly with the company’s high-profile founders, guiding it from a privately held business into its pre-IPO transformation. While CEO, he oversaw the company’s 2,500 franchises spanning 61 countries. Drawing from his cross-cultural, international leadership expertise, he transformed the regional, UK-centric business into a robust, international company by restructuring management, people, and processes.
In addition, Gournay served as CEO of Arc International, a $2B worldwide leader that markets tabletop glass products in more than 160 countries. During his tenure, he successfully led a major restructuring of the 170-year-old, iconic French company. He effectively spearheaded new international structures and business models that generated growth opportunities and accelerated their competitive positioning in China and the Middle East.
Personal
Gournay received a master’s degree in psychology from Paris-Sorbonne University.
