Xavier Simonet

Managing Director & CEO, Collins Foods Limited

JOINED COLLINS FOODS: 4 November 2024

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND:

Xavier is a highly experienced global CEO and Managing Director, with a proven track record of formulating and implementing strategic plans across multi-site retail operations. He has successfully grown sales and profitability across multiple geographies and brings diversity of experience across a range of sectors and companies. Xavier has a global mindset and a track record of delivering operational performance, leading business transformation and executing mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to joining Collins Foods, Xavier was the Chief Executive Officer of Austrade – the Australian Government agency responsible for the promotion of international trade and investment within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) portfolio – where he successfully partnered with government and businesses to grow Australian business globally.

Previously he was Group CEO and Managing Director of ASX-listed Kathmandu Holdings for six years, where he managed growth and diversification of the Kathmandu, Rip Curl and Oboz brands. Prior to that he was CEO of Radley London and spent four years at Seafolly Group where he was International Director. Earlier in his career Xavier held various management roles over 11 years with Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) in Europe, Asia and Australia.

Xavier speaks English and French and has studied German. He has a Master’s degree in Law, Economics and Public Administration from Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, a Master’s in International Management with HEC from the Paris and the Vienna School of Economics and Business Administration, a Master’s Diploma in Business Administration and Management from the HEC School of Management in Paris and a Harvard Business School Executive Management qualification in Strategic Marketing Management.