Mr Nicolas Houzé (Galeries Lafayette) and Mr Francisco Irarrázaval (Falabella Retail) appointed President and Vice President of the IADS.

During the 66th General Assembly of the International Association of Department Stores (IADS) held in Hong Kong on 12th of November 2025, the IADS members elected the Executive Committee for the new term, including the new Association’s President and Vice President.

Mr Nicolas Houzé, Executive Chairman of Galeries Lafayette (France), was appointed President of the IADS. 

Galeries Lafayette, a member of the IADS since 1960, last held the presidency of the Association in 2017, and this is the second time Mr Houzé has been elected to this position. Nicolas Houzé, 50, graduated from INSEAD and held various positions at A.T. Kearney, Deutsche Bank, Monoprix, before joining the family business in 2006 to oversee  the Group’s watchmaking division (Louis Pion and Galeries Lafayette–Royal Quartz Paris). He joined the Executive Board in 2009, served as Deputy CEO of the department store division (Galeries Lafayette and BHV MARAIS) from 2011 to 2013, before taking over as CEO from 2013 to 2024, and was appointed Executive Chairman  of the Galeries Lafayette group in 2024. Nicolas Houzé also acts as Chairman of the Comité Stratégique de Filière Mode et Luxe (French strategic committee for the fashion and luxury industry) since 2023 and serves as President of the Union du Grand Commerce de Centre-Ville (French union of city centre retailers) since 2019. He was recognised as one of the 500 most influential personalities in fashion according to Business of Fashion. At IADS, he succeeds Ms Kamshim Lau, Executive Director of Lifestyle International Holdings Limited, which operates Sogo department store in Hong Kong, HKSAR.

Mr Francisco Irarrázaval, CEO of Falabella Retail, was appointed Vice-President of the IADS. 

Mr Irarrázaval has been a member of the Association’s Executive Committee in the past, and this is the first time a representative from Falabella Retail, an IADS member since 2006, is appointed Vice President. Francisco Irarrázaval, 50, studied Civil Engineering at Universidad Católica de Chile and Public Administration at Harvard. He has been CEO of Falabella Retail, the department store division of Falabella, operating in Chile, Colombia and Peru, since 2021. Prior to his appointment, Mr Irarrázaval was the CEO of Ripley, after having held various positions in the Chilean government between 2009 and 2014. Prior to that, he founded and directed TECHO.org, a charity involved in housing in South America.

IADS members have also appointed Ms Lau a member of the Executive Committee, alongside Mr Holger Blecker, CEO of Breuninger (Germany), Mr Olivier Bron, CEO of Bloomingdale’s (USA), and Mr Peter King, Member of the Board at Magasin du Nord (Denmark). Together, the President, Vice President, and members of the Executive Committee will be responsible for defining the roadmap for the IADS and maintaining its positioning as a strategic tool and an exclusive service for its retail members.

Commenting on this announcement, Nicolas Houzé declared: “Returning to the presidency of the IADS seven years after my first term is a real honour. The retail industry has undergone a period of profound technological, sociological, and geopolitical change, redefining the way we think about department stores internationally. In this context, IADS offers its members a unique strategic platform where the exchange of expertise, access to powerful tools, and anticipation of trends enable us to turn challenges into opportunities. Our shared ambition is to strengthen the global leadership of department stores and prepare for the future of retail.”

In addition to the organisation of a series of exchange meetings at all levels, from CEOs to C-suite, buyers and merchandisers, the Association now offers an array of tools developed with its partners, Retail Hub in tech sourcing, RH-ISAC in cyber defence and Newstores in retail trends, all aiming to provide extra resources to its members. The Association also operates the IADS Academy, a 9-month training program for its members’ talent. Finally, the IADS also directly supports its members by acting as a 100% dedicated informational hub.

The most recent member to have joined the Association is John Lewis & Partners (UK), in March 2025.

About Galeries Lafayette

A world-famous, leading French department store, Galeries Lafayette has been the undisputed expert in fashion and events for the past 130 years. It strives to make each visit a unique experience by offering French and international clients a constantly renewed selection of the best brands, ranging from the affordable to premium. Present in the fashion, accessory, beauty, interior decoration, fine foods and catering sectors, the brand is celebrated for its 48-store network in France - including 17 of its own and 31 subsidiarised ones - and eleven current and upcoming international stores , its e-commerce website galerieslafayette.com and its off-price activity Galeries Lafayette L’Outlet.

More information on galerieslafayette.com, on Facebook and on Instagram (@galerieslafayette)

About Falabella Retail

In accordance with its vocation to offer the best shopping experience of all times, Falabella Retail is the leading physical-digital ecosystem in the region. It has 106 stores distributed in Chile, Peru and Colombia and an e-commerce platform that brings together in one place the offerings of Falabella, Sodimac, Tottus and thousands of sellers. It employs more than 24,100 employees in the region, serving more than 15 million customers.

More information in our press room: http://www.falabellaretail.falabella.com/

About IADS

The International Association of Department Stores (IADS) is the only expert body specialising globally in the department store retail format. Consisting of leading department store members worldwide, the Association serves as an international network that facilitates exchange and communication among its members. It also conducts research to address the current challenges of department stores and provide actionable insights for its members.

Today, IADS permanent members include Beijing Hualian Group (PRC), Bloomingdale’s (USA), Boyner (Turkey), Breuninger (Germany), Chalhoub Group (UAE), Centro Beco (Venezuela), El Corte Inglés (Spain), El Palacio de Hierro (Mexico), Falabella (Chile, Colombia and Peru), Galeries Lafayette (France), John Lewis & Partners (UK), Lifestyle International Holding (Hong Kong), Magasin du Nord (Denmark), Manor (Switzerland), The Mall Group (Thailand), TSUM Kyiv (Ukraine). These retail leaders are joined by a network of other department stores and retail companies as corresponding members.

Together, the IADS members, all key players in their respective markets, create a landscape of diverse business models and cultures, representing more than €40.5 billion in cumulated annual turnover, achieved through over 549 stores with 251,000 associates in 28 countries.

Through its activities and partnerships with Retail Hub, RH-ISAC, and Newstores, the Association remains constantly up to date on its members’ questions and challenges. It generates solution-driven problem-solving processes for its members, preparing them to face the future of the retail industry.

About the IADS Academy

The IADS Academy is an IADS transformative initiative started 30 years ago to help develop young talented executives into future leaders. During the 9-month programme, participants are asked to provide concrete and actionable answers to a question raised by CEO members. To that end, they learn, exchange and are empowered to solve a problem with a C-level vision. The IADS Academy allows them to foster relationships in a multi-cultural, multi-skilled group and gain a broader perspective on the operations of department stores.

Among current members, 3 CEOs and 1 COO are Academy Alumni. Over 30 years of existence, 29 companies from 22 countries have participated and the Academy trained 160+ high potential executives.

Contact: press@iads.org 

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Download the full press release, in English, here.

Read the full press release, in French, below:

Download the full press release, in French, here.