Denis Isaev takes the helm at Lemana PRO: CEO change amid asset transfer
LLC Le Monlid (brand Lemana PRO, formerly Leroy Merlin) has been headed by Denis Isaev since September 22, replacing Laurent Defassier, who led the company since 2021.
LLC Le Monlid (brand Lemana PRO, formerly Leroy Merlin) has been led by Denis Isaev since September 22. The change of CEO is recorded in the data of the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. Isaev replaced Laurent Defassier, who had headed the company since 2021.
The new head of the chain is a figure with a financial rather than retail background. According to EGRYUL data, Isaev owned 64.5% of LLC Commercial Bank Gaztransbank (as of 2017) and 50% of LLC E1-Capital (as of 2023). Both companies are registered in Krasnodar. It was also reported that Isaev served as chairman of the board of directors of Gaztransbank.
The appointment came several days after a high-profile decision at the shareholder level. On September 17, a decree was published under which Russian assets of a number of major foreign companies were transferred to JSC L.E.V. Management — a company previously unknown to the market. Its owners have not been disclosed. In addition to Lemana PRO, assets of Auchan and Nestle in Russia, as well as FM Logistics and Bati Logistics, were transferred to the new structure.
The retailer itself emphasizes a course toward continuity. On September 21, Lemana PRO reported that the interim administrator is interested in preserving the asset as a single retail chain, maintaining the existing management system, and ensuring uninterrupted operation of stores and distribution centers.
"The stable operation of the company is directly linked to supplying the population and the construction industry with goods for home and renovation. The interim administrator also intends to maintain the current management system in the company; there are no plans to change the current top management," Lemana PRO stated in a letter.
At the same time, the CEO change at Lemana PRO is not the only rotation among the companies affected by the asset transfer. As Kommersant reported the day before, LLC Auchan was headed by Ilya Berdnikov — an alumnus of X5 and Rosimushchestvo. He replaced Asya Balabay, who took the position of executive director of the company.
The situation around Lemana PRO is unfolding according to a scenario the market has observed with other former foreign retailers in Russia: a change of owner, the arrival of managers with Russian corporate experience, and statements about preserving the operating model. The company entered the market in DIY format under the Leroy Merlin brand before the rebranding.
Additional management decisions at Lemana PRO and related structures may follow once the new ownership structure begins full-scale operational work. So far, neither the interim administrator nor JSC L.E.V. Management has publicly disclosed a long-term strategy with respect to the chain, nor the format of further corporate governance of Auchan, Nestle, and logistics operators' assets.
Source: Интерфакс
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