PONANT EXPLORATIONS Names Replacement for Group CEO

PONANT has named Benoît-Etienne Domenget as Group CEO, effective Nov. 3, 2025. He replaces Hervé Gastinel, who is leaving the Group to pursue new opportunities.

Domenget brings more than 25 years of experience in hospitality, luxury, travel, and tourism, including 14 years at Accor. He will be in charge of driving the Group’s continued international development and further strengthen its hallmark of hospitality excellence.

“I a delighted to welcome Benoît-Etienne Domenget,” said François-Henri Pinault, founder of Artémis, the parent company of PONANT. “His extensive and diversified experience and expertise in strategic fields for our company will give him all the assets to make PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP an ever-stronger and more innovative player in the luxury and responsible cruise sector.”

Pinault also thanked the outgoing Group CEO. “We warmly thank Hervé Gastinel for his unwavering commitment to the Group. Under his leadership, the fleet has grown from 12 to 20 ships, and PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP has successfully diversified its activities, in particular by entering river cruises and new formats such as the Spirit of Ponant.”