Departures of note

Daniel Bernard was a prominent French business executive best known for his tenure as chairman and CEO of the retail giant Carrefour from 1992 to 2005. Born into a modest family in northern France and a graduate of HEC Paris, he began his career in the hypermarket sector with groups such as Socam Miniprix, Mammouth, and Metro before joining Carrefour. Under his leadership, Carrefour accelerated its international expansion and became the world's second-largest distributor following a merger with Promodès in 1999. He was credited with inventing quality supply chains to improve relations with the agricultural sector.

After leaving Carrefour in 2005, Bernard chaired the British DIY group Kingfisher, owner of Castorama, and led the Majid Al Futtaim Retail group based in Dubai. He also served as president of the HEC Foundation from 2008 to 2014 and sat on the boards of several major corporations including Capgemini. Described as a humanist and passionate about gardening and opera, he continued to mentor young entrepreneurs until his death. He died in August 2026 at the age of 80 after a long illness.