Ponant Appoints Benoît-Etienne Domenget as Group CEO
The former Sommet Education chief and Accor veteran will steer the French luxury cruise group into its next phase of growth, following Hervé Gastinel’s fleet-expanding tenure.
Photo: Courtesy of Ponant
Ponant has named Benoît-Etienne Domenget as its new Group CEO, effective Nov. 3, 2025, succeeding Hervé Gastinel, who is stepping away to pursue new ventures.
Domenget arrives with a résumé defined by depth across hospitality, education, and luxury sectors. A graduate of HEC Paris, he spent his early years in operational roles at Accor, eventually climbing to the position of senior vice president for EMEA development. He later spearheaded Accor’s Swiss operations and oversaw its low-cost portfolio in the DACH region, managing over 100 properties.
Before that, he held roles at Michel Reybier Hospitality, before shifting in 2017 to helm Sommet Education, overseeing global expansion across brands such as Glion, Les Roches, and École Ducasse. Under his leadership, Sommet established itself as a global leader in hospitality and luxury education.
His experience shows that Ponant is placing emphasis not just on conventional cruise operations but on talent, brand differentiation, and deeper institutional sophistication. François-Henri Pinault, on behalf of Artémis (Ponant’s owner), lauded Domenget’s “extensive and diversified experience … [which] will give him all the assets to make Ponant … an ever-stronger and more innovative player in the luxury and responsible cruise sector.” Pinault also paid tribute to Gastinel’s tenure, under which Ponant’s fleet grew from 12 to 20 ships, and the group branched into river cruising and new formats like the Spirit of Ponant.
The shift comes during a time of strategic evolution for the company. Earlier this year, the group acquired Aqua Expeditions, extending its reach into river and boutique-expedition markets. Meanwhile, Ponant is planning to launch a yachting arm offering ultra-small catamarans like the Spirit of Ponant, an experimentation with more intimate, flexible formats.
