Hygie31 press release – 9 October 2023
Hygie31 announces the appointment of Stéphane Solinski as Laf Santé Managing Director
French Hygie31 Group, a benchmark player in the healthcare and wellness sector in Europe, is strengthening its executive management team led by Hervé Jouves, Group CEO, with the arrival of Stéphane Solinski as Managing Director of its Laf Santé subsidiary, the company that runs the Pharmacie Lafayette, Parapharmacie Lafayette, Optique Lafayette and Médical Lafayette networks.
By taking over the reins of 4 chains, he enables Hervé Jouves, who was until today responsible for this position, to fully focus on Hygie31's French and international acquisition-led growth, the rollout of new projects and tasks to be ready for tomorrow's healthcare challenges, in particular via digitization and AI.
In his new role, Stéphane Solinkski's goal will be to increase Laf Santé members' growth and profitability , as well as to proactively contribute to tomorrow's changes as regards in-pharmacy healthcare services.
Stéphane Solinski will use all business and strategic management levers and tools for the 4 chains, which will, in turn, enable Hygie31 to boost its position in the healthcare sector.
Hervé Jouves, Hygie31 CEO (on the right) and Stéphane Solinski, Laf Santé Managing Director
Hervé Jouves, Hygie31 CEO, states:
"I'm delighted to welcome Stéphane Solinski as Laf Santé Managing Director. This appointment is in keeping with our desire to strengthen our team around tomorrow's operational and strategic challenges. Stéphane has excellent knowledge of the entrepreneurial world, of chains and of their concerns. His vision, his expertise and his ability to drive change will be pivotal in helping us pursue our growth and ramp up our development."
Stéphane Solinski, Laf Santé Managing Director, adds:
"I'm delighted to be able to put the expertise I've acquired over the last 30 years in retail, business management and development to good use. My career has given me the opportunity to work in various sectors, which have had to deal with complex challenges. This experience will enable me to adapt quickly to Laf Santé's specific needs, and I'm looking forward to working hand-in-hand with the teams to continue to innovate, grow and strengthen our position on the healthcare and wellness market.
Stéphane Solinksi, Laf Santé Managing Director
Stéphane Solinski has over 30 years' experience in helping members, brands and chains grow in cooperative retail environments, forever with a focus on driving change to speed up growth.
During his 12 years at Sport 2000 as Managing Director, he drove Group growth via several chains and rolled out powerful initiatives tailored to local retailing to boost and simplify cooperative members' business.
His previous 8-year experience in Atol Group as Marketing and Purchasing Director, then Deputy Managing Director made him a true specialist of the optical sector. Back in the 1990s, before being involved in creating the French start-up caradisiac.com,, he joined Renault's Marketing Department where he was in charge of managing communication for the strategic Twingo, Clio and Mégane ranges. Stéphane is an enthusiast and expert in trade, capital goods and services, in network-based organizations.
Hygie31 Group, created in 2021, intends to become a leading healthcare and wellness player, and to uphold the values and commitments of its chains to ensure healthcare is accessible to everyone. Thanks to its in-store and online distribution channels, its extensive selection of products and its ever-growing nationwide network, the Group is at the helm of:
- Laf Santé, created in 2014, the company that runs the Pharmacie Lafayette, Parapharmacie Lafayette, Optique Lafayette and Médical Lafayette networks
- Dhygietal, a subsidiary created in 2021, dedicated to digital business via cocooncenter.com and parapharmacielafayette.com
- Pharmacorp, French leader in traditional local pharmacies
- Ecoceutics, a leading consortium of pharmacies in Spain
- Elsker Group, a benchmark healthcare group in the Hauts-de-France region
Hygie31 is the contraction of the French name of the Greek goddess of health, Hygie, Hygeia in
English, and "31", which symbolizes the Haute-Garonne department in France and the Group's
Toulouse roots.
The Group, supported by the Latour Capital investment fund and by Bpifrance as a minority shareholder, recorded cumulated turnover of over 2 billion euro in 2022, which has more than doubled since its creation. Hygie31, firmly established on a nationwide scale, currently brings together over 1,000 pharmacies, i.e. 1 French pharmacy out of 20.
Laf Santé groups together local chains committed to promoting "healthcare for everyone".
The Group, created in 2005, has become France's leading consortium of benchmark chains in the healthcare sector.
It has developed an unparalleled echosystem through its 4 chains, Pharmacie Lafayette, Parapharmacie Lafayette, Optique Lafayette and Médical Lafayette that interact with each other to offer as many people as possible access to healthcare and wellness products.
As a network, Laf Santé provides its members with a high-performing concept that drives growth and profitability, and supports them on a daily basis in optimizing their profession and their new tasks via a specialist distributor approach. It gives them access to services and to the expertise of the Group's teams in terms of helping them start up, business and marketing strategy, digitization, monitoring performance, training through its own in-house LAFormation training school and on-the-ground support. With combined turnover exceeding a billion euro, a 12% increase in 2022 versus 2021, Laf Santé now brings together 400 points of sale across France.