Kingfisher CEO Thierry Garnier is the new president of Edra/Ghin

Kingfisher CEO Thierry Garnier is the new president of the international DIY association Edra/Ghin. Erwin van Osta, owner and CEO of the Belgian chain Hubo, was elected as deputy speaker of the board yesterday. The new elections had become necessary after the previous Edra/Ghin Chairman Sergio Giroldi retired as CEO of Obi in September.

Frenchman Thierry Garnier became CEO of UK DIY group Kingfisher, which operates more than 1 500 stores under the B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt, Screwfix, Tradepoint and Koçtaş banners in eight European countries, in September 2019. Previously, he has spent 20 years in senior roles at French retail group Carrefour.

"Edra/Ghin is a great international network, bringing together home improvement retailers from all over the world. I am honoured to have the opportunity to represent this fantastic industry, which plays a unique role in helping our customers improve their homes and their lives," Garnier said, commenting his election, citing residential energy efficiency as an example.

Garnier is an engineer with a degree from École Polytechnique and École des Mines in Paris. In 2016, he was awarded the Order of the French Legion of Honour (Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur). He has been a member of the Edra/Ghin board since 2019.