Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU), France’s horseracing monopoly, has undergone a change in leadership. According to a recent announcement, the French company has welcomed the experienced Cyrille Giraudat as its new chief executive officer.
Giraudat to Head PMU
On December 10, PMU confirmed the addition of Giraudat as its new CEO, saying that the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Food Sovereignty, and the Ministry of Action and Public Accounts have greenlit this leadership appointment. The new CEO has also secured relevant approvals from the rest of the company’s leadership.
PMU also noted that Giraudat’s appointment as CEO was proposed by PMU’s parent companies, France Galop and the SETF. As CEO of PMU, Giraudat will replace Emmanuelle Malecaze-Doublet, who departed the company earlier this year amid a clash between the company and its shareholders.
In its official announcement, PMU said that Giraudat will step into the office in January. In his new position, he will be responsible for speeding up PMU’s growth and continuing its ongoing efforts to bolster customer engagement and deliver best-in-class horseracing experiences.
As a proven marketing and digital transformation veteran, Giraudat will help PMU make its products more appealing to the next generation of bettors amid continued difficulties.
Giraudat Is a Former PMU Director
Giraudat is no stranger to PMU’s business, having previously served the group as its director of marketing, customers, and digital. His tenure ran from 2004 to 2014 and saw him play a key role in the opening of competition in France’s online gaming market.
After that, Giraudat parted ways with PMU to join the Europcar Group. As part of that company, he managed the digitization of its offer and the transformation of the customer experience it offers. His tenure with Europcar ran from 2014 to 2016.
In 2017, Giraudat was named director of digital, marketing, and innovation at RATP Dev. During his five years with this business, he launched and managed the company’s transformation plan, which included a shift in the way it marketed and innovated.
His most recent role was at Nexity. He joined that company in 2022 and was named as its marketing, customer and digital director.