Laurent Gillard is the president of the Belgian restaurant chain, Léon (formerly Léon de Bruxelles) and will be the star of the show Patron Incognito on M6. This chain has no less than 80 restaurants and 1,500 employees. Focus on his studies, his career and his adventure with Léon.
The academic and professional career of Laurent Gillard before Léon
Laurent Gillard is a graduate of the Chamalières hotel school and ESSEC. He has held positions of high responsibility in the catering and hotel sector which have allowed him to develop extraordinary expertise and real know-how in the field.
As you will see, unlike other CEOs who have gone through Patron Incognito, Laurent Gillard is not at the origin of the creation of Léon de Bruxelles.
He joined the Accor group in 1982 as restaurant director, a position he held for 6 years. In 1989, he left the hotel group to join Parc Astérix as catering director. On this occasion, he managed 80 to 140 employees and created and implemented the multi-product catering department. He also contributed to the development of new sales concepts from the 2nd year.
In 1991, Laurent Gillard made his comeback to Accor. He is hired as regional director. He then managed a region of 6 to 18 restaurants in 3 years and launched a new concept. He also managed the opening of 18 restaurants during the period.
In 1994, he joined Elior, one of the world leaders in collective catering and services. For three years, he held the position of director of operations. He thus contributes to the launch of the joint venture Quick-Elior which turns out to be a real success. He also created the similar company in charge of operating Quick in stations (1st turnover in France).
Laurent Gillard appreciated the change. It is for this reason that he did not hesitate to embark on new adventures involving responsibilities and missions as diverse as they were enriching. In 1997, it once again, and unsurprisingly, changed its organization. This time, it is to be part of the Cinémas UGC group and hold the position of network director. His mission was to supervise and manage the operating network. It managed 40 complexes and a total of 700 employees. He also contributed to the creation of new ancillary sales concepts and the creation of a quality and financial audit department.
A year later, he joined the Accor group for the third time as director of operations. Alongside its functions, Laurent Gillard completed a master’s degree in international management at ESSEC. For three years, he was at the head of three stations and managed 900 employees. He assured the mmanagement of the commercial and logistical reorganization of Montparnasse, the Gare de l’Est and Austerlitz.
The beginnings of the Léon de Bruxelles adventure for Laurent Gillard
In April 2002, the Léon de Bruxelles adventure began for Laurent Gillard. He joined the restaurant chain as director of operations, where he managed 33 restaurants and a staff of 800 employees. The company was in a very critical financial situation. He contributed to the company’s recovery following its filing for bankruptcy in 2001. He was keen to put in place a reorganization and relaunched HR and financial operations which were balanced after two years.
In 2005, Laurent Gillard did not change companies (for once), but took up a new position, that of deputy general manager. His circle of responsibilities is growing as the number of employees to manage increases to 1,100 and that of restaurants from 33 to 72.
December 2010 marks the promotion of Laurent Gillard who becomes general manager. He takes charge of the entire operational network and continues the development of the brand. His career development does not stop there, since he was appointed chairman of the management board in 2013 and vice-chairman and general manager in December 2019. By being at the head of the company, he contributed to supporting of the new shareholder after the sale of Léon de Bruxelles in December 2019 and the launch of the new Léon concept, in July 2019. In times of health crisis, he also had to learn to master economic and social fundamentals.
Léon de Bruxelles, a Belgian or French brand?
Léon de Bruxelles was born more than 100 years ago in Brussels, in 1893. His Belgian specialties became a reference and gained a real reputation well beyond the Belgian borders. A century after its creation, in 1989, the first restaurant “Léon” was opened in Paris. It is devoted, unsurprisingly, to traditional dishes. “Our restaurants have managed to preserve all their Belgian soul, our teams welcome you every day in a friendly, authentic and warm atmosphere like in Brussels”, details the group on its site.
The brand has expanded widely in France and today has nearly 80 restaurants in which the emphasis is placed on the freshness of the products and good times shared.
Léon’s key dates
- 1893: Birth of “Friture Léon” by the founder, Léon Vanlancker in Brussels.
- 1989: Opening of the first restaurant in France in Paris (Place de la République).
- 1991: Opening of a Léon de Bruxelles restaurant on the Champs Elysées.
- 1995: Opening of the first restaurant in the Paris region (Montlhéry).
- 1998: The Chambray-les-Tours restaurant inaugurates the first opening in the province.
- 2009: Léon de Bruxelles celebrates his 20th birthday in France.
- 2011: The 60th restaurant opens its doors in Arras.
- 2013: Launch of the first Léon de Bruxelles brand in Lyon, rue Mercière.
- 2016: The Léon brand opens in Paris in the 19th arrondissement.
- 2017: The brand opens its 80th restaurant in Montigny-lès-Cormeilles.
- 2018: Anniversary year of the opening of “Friture Léon” in Brussels: already 125 years!
Léon in key figures:
- 100 years of know-how
- 83 restaurants
- 42 restaurants opened in the last 10 years
- 1,500 employees
- 6 million customers per year
- 116.7 million euros in business volume under the brand in 2015
- 1,200 tonnes of fresh fries per year
- 3,500 tonnes of fresh mussels per year
What are Léon’s values?
Léon has existed for 129 years and the company has chosen to be a long-term company that respects its employees and its environment. The group is particularly keen on its values and transmits them to all members.
These values are summarized in friendliness and the family spirit, the generosity (generous and delicious plates), the sincerity (by offering fresh, high quality products) and, finally, thecommitmentthrough products carefully selected from committed suppliers.
Laurent Guillard in Patron Incognito for Léon
In Patron Incognito, Laurent Guillard therefore confronts the reality on the ground for Léon. It goes as close as possible to the teams, directly into the restaurants, a real asset for anyone who has not had this experience within the restaurant chain.
