PARIS — Paul-Emmanuel Reiffers, founder and chief executive officer of French creative consulting group Mazarine, has increased his stake in the company to 86 percent, bringing to a close a 15-year period of private equity backing as he looks to accelerate international expansion.
The transaction, completed in September, marks the successful exit of LBO France, Mirabaud and FG Bros, which supported Reiffers in regaining a majority stake of 54 percent in 2022.
Jacques Veyrat has joined as a minority investor through his Impala holding company, with a 9 percent stake, while the group’s managing directors collectively hold 5 percent.
Financial terms were not disclosed. Mazarine’s current annual revenue is around 300 million euros, company representatives said.
The group operates across luxury communications, creative services, events, media and art, and cultural production with around 500 employees worldwide.
Reiffers said the decision to consolidate ownership was driven by his desire to retain greater control over strategic decisions and invest with a longer-term horizon.
“I’m not working to sell the company. I don’t want to have a financial company. I want to have a creative company, and I want to build a really beautiful brand,” said Reiffers. “I want to build the company for the next 30 years and more, because my sons are now working with me.”
Reiffers’ sons, Boniface and Stanislas, have joined the business in Paris and New York, respectively.
Reiffers has set an ambitious growth target for Mazarine, aiming to double revenue within the next five years while expanding its international footprint. Around 75 percent of the group’s business currently comes from France, he said, with the remainder generated across markets including the U.S., China and the Middle East.
The U.S. is a major focus going forward. Mazarine’s U.S. revenue has tripled over the past three years to around $70 million, Reiffers said. The group works with luxury houses there such as Tiffany & Co., as well as U.S. brands beyond traditional luxury including Nike and Apple.
“When you arrive in the U.S. as a brand from France, you have the savoir faire français of creative production, and they appreciate that a lot,” he said. “The market is really big and really dynamic, and we have huge potential in U.S.”
Mazarine is also looking to expand in Italy, where it already works with brands including Gucci and Loro Piana. The group plans to open an office in Milan in 2027, building on its existing office in Venice, where it produces art and cultural projects, including work connected to the Venice Biennale.
In China, Reiffers sees the potential for expansion despite the difficult market environment and is eyeing an acquisition there as a possible route to growth.
The group’s plans for the Middle East have been affected by the regional conflict, which has put some expansion activity in the region on hold.
Reiffers sees the current luxury slowdown as an opportunity for companies to rethink their strategies, diversify and invest in talent. After several years of strong industry growth, he described the current period as a pause rather than a structural downturn, pointing to geopolitical uncertainty weighing on the market, as well as changes in creative leadership at major fashion houses needing time to gel.
“For my company, the crisis is an opportunity to diversify,” he said.
That diversification has so far included expanding into art and exhibition production through Arter, which Mazarine acquired two years ago, and working with clients outside the traditional luxury sector. In June, Mazarine acquired London-based luxury lifestyle public relations firm Bacchus, to boost its access to ultra-high-net-worth individuals for future projects and events.
Reiffers said the group has a strong pipeline of business over the next two years.
Luxury brands are increasingly interested in producing heritage exhibits that can be reproduced in several cultural capitals, which is another avenue for potential growth, he added.
The company continues to be organized around the three pillars of events and experiential production; creative and communications services, and influence, spanning media, public relations and cultural initiatives.
“We are a fully integrated group. It’s not only about business; it’s about value,” he said. “Because we are really optimists about the future too. We have a lot of things to do worldwide, and we have a lot of potential.”
Mazarine also owns Numéro magazine, while Reiffers is the founder of Reiffers Initiatives, a foundation that supports the young French contemporary art scene.
The company has developed Mazarine Intelligence and built its own generative AI, which it uses to create ultra-personalized VIC experiences for its luxury clients.