Kiabi France names Ouarda Ech-Chykry country manager

By

Marion Deslandes

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Dec 6, 2022

Two new appointments at Kiabi. After announcing the hiring of Cendrine Tabary as group head of performance, the French family fashion retailer has promoted Ouarda Ech-Chykry to the role of country manager of its French subsidiary. Ech-Chykry began her career at Kiabi in 2009 on a work-study contract, and has replaced Florian Dinel, who had held the position since 2019.

Ech-Chykry, 34, has risen through the ranks at Kiabi over the last 13 years. She graduated with a master's degree in human resources and management at Neoma Business School, and has worked in various retail positions before becoming sales director for the Grand Est and Paris region, overseeing 108 stores and 1,038 employees.

As country manager France, Ech-Chykry’s mission will be to “develop a neighbourhood retailer mindset, promote the brand as employer and establish an agile organization,” said the chain owned by the Mulliez family in a press release.

“Her managerial abilities, ambitious vision, capacity for teamwork, openness, curiosity and business sense make [Ech-Chykry] the ideal person to bolster our brand’s growth. Ouarda’s determination and skills development remind us that Kiabi is made up of extraordinary talents that we are proud to work with on a daily basis,” said Patrick Stassi, Kiabi's group managing director.
 
Kiabi was founded in 1978, and in 2021 it generated sales worth nearly €2 billion. The group operates 548 stores worldwide, of which 335 in France. On its domestic market, Kiabi is aiming to grow to 480 “contact points” by 2025, by testing new retail solutions such as city-centre stores and concessions at other retailers.