Photo-Me appoints CEO-designate

The French national Thierry Barel, 46 years old, has been in charge of Photo-Me’s minilab manufacturing activities, Kis/Photo-Me, since April 2007. Before joining PMI, he was with the Swiss Staeubli Group from 1984 to 2006, most recently as Chief Executive Officer. The Staeubli Group is involved in mechatronics (textile machinery, robotics and industrial connectors) and recorded total sales of SFr 1 billion in 2006. The company operates sales units in 24 countries and employs 3,500 people at 13 production facilities.

David Young, Chairman of the Board of PMI, commented: “Thierry Barel is well qualified for the CEO’s role, having run an international group twice the size of Photo-Me, possessing a technological background, and having spent most of his life in Continental Europe, which is the base of Photo-Me’s manufacturing activities and the origin of most of the profit of its vending activities.“ Serge Crasnianski, PMI’s current CEO, added: “I’m confident that Thierry Barel will bring the focused strategic and operational leadership to take the company forward successfully.”