Name: Daniel Bernard
Was: CEO of Carrefour
Now: Chairman of Kingfisher

Career background: A product of the illustrious HEC Paris business school - where he was a contemporary of disgraced former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn - Bernard became one of the biggest figures in international retail. He made his mark as head of Metro France in the 1980s, going on to become chief operating officer of the German retail giant. His success there led him to the top job at Carrefour in 1992. He spent more than 12 years at the helm, overseeing a period of massive expansion at home and abroad.

What is he doing now? Bernard may be of retirement age but he is showing little sign of slowing down. In 2009, he was appointed chairman of B&Q-owner Kingfisher, which he had joined in 2006 after leaving Carrefour. Since then, he has added chairmanship of MAF Retail Group and a senior advisor position at Towerbrook Capital Partners to his list of responsibilities. He was already a non-exec director of Alcatel-Lucent and Capgemini.

Biggest achievement in grocery? As CEO of Carrefour, Bernard secured the French supermarket chain’s position as a truly global retail giant. He oversaw a massive $17bn acquisition of France-based rival Promodès Group in 1999 and steered Carrefour into new international markets, beating Walmart in a number of frontier battles - notably overtaking the US giant in Brazil and establishing a bigger following in Argentina.

What does the future hold? Described by Kingfisher CEO Ian Cheshire as “one of the most experienced international retailers in the world”, he will remain sought after for non-exec appointments. However, after receiving a €38.5m golden handshake when he left Carrefour, it is unlikely to be a lack of money that keeps him in retail.

Where are you now? Are you searching for a former colleague who you’d love to get in contact with again, or would you like to appear in this column? Contact Beth Phillips on beth.phillips@thegrocer.co.uk or 01293 610227.

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