Brune Poirson Joins Accor as Sustainability Officer and Will Have a Direct Impact on Maldives Resorts

Accor has announced the appointment of Brune Poirson, former French Minister, as chief sustainability officer, reporting directly to Sébastien Bazin, the group’s chairman and CEO. Currently eight properties in the Maldives are managed by Accor brands.

Poirson will also become a member of the executive committee at Accor when she joins on May 5. Her role will be to drive Accor’s sustainable development, as well as being responsible for the Accor Solidarity Foundation and the ALL Heartists Fund. Poirson, a graduate of the London School of Economics, Sciences Po Aix and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, was secretary of state to the minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition from 2017 to 2020, where she championed the country’s anti-waste law and addressed plastic pollution. She was also the first French person to be elected vice president of the United Nations Environment Assembly.

In her role, Poirson will have a direct impact on the seven brands operating in Maldives that range from midscale to luxury. The full portfolio of properties includes: Raffles Maldives Meradhoo, Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi, Pullman Maldives Maamutaa, Movenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives, Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort, Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, and two Angsana properties: Ihuru and Velavaru.

Poirson said: “I am delighted to be joining a global leader in hospitality and to be able to contribute my experience and beliefs, and to take action. Through more than 5,100 hotels worldwide, hundreds of owners and partners, several hundred million guests and the experienced teams in the field, we have a wonderful opportunity to take practical and decisive action on a daily basis. In this new role, I want to help to further the vision that Accor has had since its creation – bringing to life positive, contemporary and responsible hospitality.”

Bazin said: “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. 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 daily is a must. In this area too, I want us to set an example by being both daring and trailblazing.”

(with additional contribution by Naza Nazeem)