Ponant Explorations Group appoints Benoît-Etienne Domenget as Group CEO, effective November 3, 2025. Domenget succeeds Hervé Gastinel, who is leaving the company to pursue new professional projects.
With 25 years of experience in the hospitality, luxury, travel and tourism sectors, Benoît-Etienne Domenget will be tasked with driving the Group's continued international development and reinforcing its distinctive hallmark of excellence in hospitality, while honoring PONANT's unique maritime savoir-faire and maintaining the highest environmental standards in the industry.
François-Henri Pinault stated: “I am delighted to welcome Benoît-Etienne Domenget. His extensive and diverse experience in areas that are strategic for our company will provide him with all the necessary resources to make PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP an increasingly strong and innovative player in the luxury and sustainable cruise sector. He will have a highly talented team at his disposal.”
He added: “We sincerely thank Hervé Gastinel for his unwavering commitment to the Group. Under his leadership, the fleet has grown from 12 to 20 ships, and PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP has successfully diversified its activities, particularly with its foray into river cruises and new formats such as the Spirit of Ponant.”
ABOUT BENOÎT-ETIENNE DOMENGET
A graduate of HEC Paris, Benoît-Etienne Domenget began his career at Accor Group, where he held various operational positions before being appointed Senior Vice President of Development for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He subsequently headed the group's Swiss subsidiary and managed the budget hotel business in the DACH region, overseeing more than 100 properties.
He later joined Michel Reybier Hospitality, a group that owns prestigious hotels, vineyards, and wellness centers, before being appointed CEO of Sommet Education (Glion, Les Roches, École Ducasse, Indian School of Hospitality, and Invictus Education) in 2017. Under his leadership, and thanks to strong international expansion, Sommet Education established itself as the world's leading network for hotel and luxury management training.
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