Brune Poirson was previously Secretary of State for Environmental Transition in the French government, and she will report directly to Accor’s chairman and chief executive Sebastien Bazin, as a further example of the global hospitality giant’s focus on the area.
She starts her role on 5 May, and will sit on the group’s executive committee. Accor said her role will be to “define, drive and monitor the commitments, the strategy and the roll-out of the group’s action plans in terms of sustainable development”.
Poirson was the first French person to be elected vice president of the United Nations Environment Assembly and her role with Accor will also see her take responsibility for the Accor Solidarity Foundation and its ALL Heartists Fund.
“For more than 25 years, Accor has been at the forefront of efforts to address the environmental and human challenges related to the development of travel and tourism,” said Bazin.
“With Brune Poirson’s appointment, I want us to scale up our commitments in terms of environmental protection, give fresh impetus to our efforts to support our local communities and uphold, wherever we operate, our strong beliefs and our actions.”
“Taking positive action to support the environment and the men and women who drive our industry on a daily basis is a must,” he added. “In this area too, I want us to set an example by being both daring and trailblazing.”
