He had held various positions within the Bic group before taking the management for thirteen years, from 1993 to 2006. Bruno Bich, son of the founder of the French company known for its pens, lighters and razors, and former CEO of the The company died on Sunday at the age of 74, Bic said in a statement on Monday (May 31).
Son of Marcel Bich – the founder of the group – Bruno Bich remained chairman of the group’s board of directors until 2018. He even took over as CEO from 2016 to 2018, after the surprise departure of then CEO Mario Guevara. In 2018, at almost 72 years old, he left the reins of the company to his eldest son, Gonzalve Bich, whom he had been preparing for years for his succession.
Bruno Bich had notably worked on the development of Bic in North America, a market that has become key for the company. This father of three children was also administrator of many schools and educational establishments such as Harlem Academy, an independent mixed school located in New York (United States). He was also at the origin of the Bic Contemporary Art Collection, recalls Bic.
Last year, Bic suffered a 16.5% drop in turnover, to 1.6 billion euros, under the effect of the pandemic. For several years, Bic has also had to deal with an erosion of its sales of razors.