Laurence Batlle has been appointed Managing Director of Cromology France, effective 10 November 2026. She succeeds Mickaël Hamot, who has decided to leave the Group to pursue new projects.
Laurence Batlle has been supporting Cromology’s transformation since April 2026 and brings a strong understanding of the business.
She brings more than 30 years of experience, including seven years in chief executive roles in international and multicultural environments. Laurence began her career at PwC, where she became a partner, before joining Atos Origin as Global VP Finance Support.
In 2007, she joined RATP Dev as Chief Financial Officer and supported the company’s growth from €80 million to €800 million in revenue. After leading the Americas, Africa & Sightseeing region, she served as CEO of RATP Dev from 2017 to 2021 and was a member of the RATP Group Executive Committee. During this period, she led 27,000 employees in 13 countries and oversaw 60% growth and a doubling of operating profit.
From 2022 to 2024, she was CEO of Foncia, the French leader in residential real estate services (10,000 employees), where she led the transformation of the operating, digital and organisational model.
Laurence is a graduate of Institut Commercial de Nancy (1993) and Harvard Business School (Advanced Management Program, 2014) and is a French chartered accountant.
Mickaël Hamot led an unprecedented transformation of Cromology France
Mickaël Hamot joined Cromology in August 2022 as Managing Director Trade and was appointed Managing Director of Cromology France in January 2024. He launched the largest transformation programme in Cromology’s history, guided by three priorities: engaging teams, driving performance and delivering customer satisfaction.
The programme fundamentally reshaped the company’s operating model. It brought the Tollens and Zolpan brands together under the banner “Unis pour vous” and created a unified retail network, the largest in France’s paint market.
Under his leadership, Cromology France put the customer at the heart of every decision. He also built a strong and diverse leadership team ready to guide the company through its next phase of growth.
“I would like to thank Mickaël warmly for his commitment and the outstanding work accomplished at the head of Cromology France. I am delighted to welcome Laurence: her experience in driving growth, leading transformation and strengthening customer relationships, combined with a leadership style that puts people at the heart of performance, will be a major asset in leading Cromology France into its next phase of growth,” said Pat Jones, Chief Operating Officer of DuluxGroup International.
About Cromology
Cromology, a subsidiary of DuluxGroup (Australia’s leading paint company) and Nippon Paint (the world’s 4th largest paint group), is a major player in the European decorative paint industry. Operating in 7 countries (Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, and Switzerland),
Cromology employs 3,100 people and has nearly 340 company-owned stores, 5 research laboratories, 9 production sites, and 6 logistics platforms.
In France, with almost 265 stores and 2,100 employees, TOLLENS and ZOLPAN exemplify Cromology’s commitment to providing innovative and sustainable solutions to both professional and individual customers.
Thanks to its CSR efforts, Cromology earned the EcoVadis Bronze Medal in 2025.
Further information at: www.cromology.com
