Coty Appoints Soraya Benchikh Chief Financial Officer

Coty appointed Soraya Benchikh as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective September 1, 2026. Benchikh succeeds Laurent Mercier. Benchikh will join Coty´s Executive Committee and report directly to Markus Strobel.

This appointment follows the new operating structure Coty put in place on July 2. The restructuring brings commercial decision-making closer to the markets Coty serves and combines research and development and supply chain into a single function.

Markus Strobel, Executive Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer, said, 

“Soraya is a seasoned global executive with a strong track record of financial and operational leadership, and she is the right leader for Coty’s next phase. As we welcome her to Coty, I would like to sincerely thank Laurent for his leadership in strengthening Coty’s financial foundation over the past five years. He shaped a better finance organization, built greater financial discipline, and created a clear financial roadmap.”

Benchikh brings over two decades of international finance and general management experience across major global consumer goods companies. 

She most recently served as CFO of British American Tobacco (BAT), where she held a series of senior roles, including President of BAT France, Area Director for East and Southern Africa, and Regional Finance Director for Europe. 

Benchikh was also part of the leadership team that drove BAT’s transformation, after spending nearly four years at Diageo, most recently serving as President, Europe.