INTERNATIONAL: Lafarge appoints Hardouin as V-P of group comms

PARIS: French building materials giant Lafarge has appointed

Philippe Hardouin as vice-president of group communications, its most

senior PR post.

He replaces Denis Berthu who left to become V-P communications at

car-maker Nissan Europe (PRWeek, 21 September).

Hardouin joins from a role as executive V-P at Vivendi Universal

Publishing-owned Groupe Industrie Services Info. He reports to chairman

and CEO Bertrand Collomb.

Hardouin has held senior communications positions with firms including

AlliedSignal, Alcatel and Thomson Group.

The appointment fills a gap caused by the departure of comms heads for

both Lafarge and Blue Circle - the British cement firm bought by Lafarge

for £3.1bn earlier this year.

Blue Circle corporate comms director Jacqueline Sinclair-Brown departed

for rival building company Wolesley (PRWeek, 28 September).