The Accor Group offers its most sincere condolences to his loved ones and more particularly to his nephew, Gilles Pélisson, who has worked for Accor for 17 years, including 5 years leading the Group.
Gérard was an iconic pioneer who, together with co-founder Paul Dubrule, inspired a modern approach to French hospitality at a time when it was poised for fresh ideas. Setting aside his engineering background and a budding career at IBM, Gérard bravely pursued the standardized hotel business model through the creation of US-inspired Novotel in Lille Lesquin, in 1967. This innovative endeavor would lay the foundation for today’s Accor.
Throughout his journey, Gérard utilized his extensive network of contacts to leverage opportunities to build the Group, while overseeing its business plans and major financial projects. Together with Paul, they achieved major milestones, building the Group’s early portfolio which included: founding ibis, Mercure, Sofitel and Formule1, amongst many others.
Gérard was also passionate about sharing his knowledge of the sector with future generations, exemplified in his role as Chairman of the Institut Paul Bocuse. He held a deep conviction that all roles across the hospitality sector be recognized for the important part they played, no matter the task, in contributing to outstanding experiences. He will also be remembered as a competitive golfer who shared his love for the sport with his colleagues when he launched the tournament ‘Tee Bleu’.
In 1997, Gérard stepped back from leading the Group and assumed his role as co-chair of the Supervisory Board alongside Paul.
To honor Gérard’s legacy, Accor teams from around the world will be paying tribute to using a virtual commemoration wall.