Russian home improvement retailer Lemana Pro has confirmed the appointment of Denis Isaev as its new general director following a leadership transition at the firm.
The company confirmed the change in a press release issued to news site Lenta.ru. The announcement followed media reports that Isaev replaced French business executive Laurent Defassieu at the head of the organization.
Isaev has more than 20 years of project management experience in the construction and financial sectors. Lemana Pro said his primary focus will involve maintaining the stability of company operations while expanding the overall scale of the business.
Leadership role and network operations
Defassieu will not leave the organization and will instead serve as executive director, the company confirmed.
Lemana Pro emphasized that all retail stores and supply facilities across its network are continuing to operate in normal mode. The business confirmed that it is completely fulfilling its obligations to customers, corporate partners, and employees.
Government asset decree
The management shift comes after Lemana Pro was placed into temporary external management under an entity called L.E.V. Management. The corporate transfer affected the retailer alongside several other large foreign business assets operating within the Russian Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the official decree ordering the temporary management transfer last week. The presidential order also covered the Russian assets of French hypermarket operator Auchan and Swiss consumer goods corporation Nestle.
Lemana Pro previously operated as Leroy Merlin, the Russian branch of the French home improvement chain. Leroy Merlin had built a major footprint of DIY and hardware stores across Russian regions prior to corporate restructuring and name changes in the country.
Auchan operates hypermarket and supermarket chains across Europe, while Nestle is a global food and beverage group headquartered in Switzerland. Under Russia's temporary management framework, foreign-owned operations can be handed to domestic corporate managers while maintaining day-to-day store activity.
