INTERNATIONAL: Lafarge appoints Berthu as its new head of comms

PARIS: Building materials giant Lafarge has appointed Denis Berthu

as its new communications director.

Berthu took up the post this week. He replaces Jacques Suart, who left

last month to join retail group Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PR Week, 30

October).

He reports to group chairman Bertrand Collomb and oversees a team of

around 20 people covering all internal and external PR except investor

relations, which is handled separately by the group’s finance

department.

Lafarge is restructuring its operations along five product lines

worldwide and Berthu will communicate this. He plans to appoint

dedicated PR officers to the new divisions.

Berthu said: ’The intention behind my appointment is to reorganise the

group’s communication according to sectors - roofing, cement, concrete,

plaster and speciality products.’

Lafarge uses Ecocom for financial PR and two agencies, CLC Communication

and Media et Compagnie, for media relations. Berthu said he did not

expect to review this.

Previously, Berthu was communications director at French car parts firm

Valeo for eight years, overseeing an eight-strong team. He held the same

post at drinks company Pernod Ricard before that.

Last September Lefarge reported an annual turnover of almost pounds 5

billion, up 52.1 per cent on last year.