Rami Baitiéh: Powerful Rise From Carrefour to Morrisons

introdution

Rami Baitiéh is a French retail executive of Lebanese origin who serves as the chief executive officer of Morrisons.

He built his reputation during a 28-year career with Carrefour, where he worked across Europe, Asia and South America before taking responsibility for the retailer’s French business.

His international experience, direct management style and strong focus on customers have made him an important figure in modern UK retail.

Quick Bio

Detail	Information
Full Name	Rami Baitiéh
Common Name	Rami Baitieh
Birth Month	May 1971
Age	55 years old as of June 2026
Birthplace	Lebanon
Nationality	French
Country of Residence	England
Profession	Retail executive
Current Position	Chief Executive Officer of Morrisons
Previous Major Company	Carrefour
Career Start	1995
Years at Carrefour	Approximately 28 years
Known For	International retail leadership and customer-focused management
Military Reserve Role	Colonel in the French Air and Space Force citizen reserve

Who Is Rami Baitiéh?

Rami Baitiéh is a senior business leader with more than three decades of experience in supermarket operations, merchandising, technology and supply-chain management.

He became Morrisons CEO in November 2023 after previously managing major Carrefour businesses in Taiwan, Argentina, Spain and France.

His career is similar to that of other internationally experienced executives, including Nuno Matos, who also progressed through major leadership roles across different countries.

Baitiéh is particularly known for placing customers and frontline employees at the centre of his business strategy.

Early Life in Lebanon and Move to France

Baitiéh was born in Lebanon in May 1971.

He spent part of his early life in the country before moving to France at around 17 years old to continue his education.

His youth was influenced by instability in Lebanon. He has spoken publicly about experiencing difficult conditions, including the destruction of his school.

Moving to France became an important turning point. It allowed him to continue studying and eventually enter the European retail industry.

His journey from Lebanon to senior corporate leadership reflects the international background shared by several prominent executives, including former Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan.

Education and Business Training

Baitiéh studied accounting and finance at the École Supérieure de Commerce de Compiègne.

He completed a master’s-level qualification and reportedly graduated with honours at the top of his class.

He later strengthened his management knowledge through further business education. Carrefour’s corporate material states that he completed MBA programmes connected with the University of Québec and Warsaw Central Business School.

This combination of finance education and practical store experience helped him understand both the commercial and operational sides of retail.

His education continued throughout his career as he took on responsibilities involving technology, logistics, strategy and national business management.

Beginning His Carrefour Career

Baitiéh joined Carrefour in 1995.

He did not begin as a senior executive. His first responsibilities were based inside a Carrefour hypermarket in Compiègne, where he worked in a junior department-management role.

During this early period, he noticed that employees were spending several hours manually organising product orders.

He developed a computer-based tool that simplified the process and improved stock management. The system attracted attention from senior leaders and was later introduced more widely across Carrefour’s French operations.

This achievement became his first major professional breakthrough.

It showed his ability to identify operational problems and create practical solutions, a quality also seen in innovative business figures such as Tim Smit.

Progress Through Carrefour

After gaining recognition for his stock-management work, Baitiéh moved into Carrefour’s head-office operations.

He gained experience in several important areas:

• Buying and merchandising
• Information technology
• Supply-chain management
• Stock availability
• Business strategy
• Store operations
• Customer service

This broad experience prepared him to manage entire national subsidiaries rather than focusing on only one department.

In 2006, he moved to Poland and took responsibility for technology, supplies and strategy.

He later worked in Turkey and Romania, where he held senior merchandise and supply-chain roles.

International Leadership Career

Baitiéh’s career became increasingly international as Carrefour assigned him to businesses requiring operational improvement.

Carrefour Taiwan

He became executive director of Carrefour Taiwan in February 2015.

His responsibilities included store performance, customer experience, supplier relationships and food-safety standards.

Taiwan also provided evidence of how far his early work had travelled. Years after creating his ordering system in France, he reportedly discovered that a version of the same technology was still being used in the Taiwanese operation.

Carrefour Argentina

In January 2018, he was appointed executive director of Carrefour Argentina.

He took responsibility for the business during a challenging economic period and applied his customer-centred management methods to its stores.

His work in Argentina strengthened his reputation as an executive who could lead businesses through difficult commercial conditions.

Carrefour Spain

Baitiéh later became CEO of Carrefour Spain.

The role placed him in charge of one of Carrefour’s most important European markets and gave him further experience managing a large national retail operation.

His international progress resembles the cross-border careers of corporate investors such as Shravin Mittal, whose work has also covered several major global markets.

Leading Carrefour France

In July 2020, Baitiéh became executive director of Carrefour France.

This was one of the most important positions within the Carrefour group because France represented its home market and largest national operation.

He introduced measures designed to improve product availability, customer service and store performance.

His strategy also supported:

• Convenience-store expansion
• Online shopping
• Private-label products
• Organic food ranges
• Internal staff development
• Faster handling of customer complaints

He encouraged managers to remain close to stores instead of leading entirely from corporate offices.

He also promoted internal training programmes that gave employees opportunities to progress into larger leadership roles.

The 5/5/5 Customer Method

One of Baitiéh’s best-known business ideas is commonly described as the 5/5/5 method.

The approach focuses on 15 customer priorities divided into three groups:

• Five points related to trust
• Five points related to service
• Five points related to proximity to customers

Its purpose is to help a retailer understand what customers expect and respond quickly when problems appear.

Baitiéh believes customer feedback should guide business strategy rather than being treated as a secondary public-relations activity.

He has described the customer as the real boss of a retail company.

Appointment as Morrisons CEO

Morrisons announced Baitiéh as its incoming chief executive in September 2023.

He formally joined the British supermarket group as CEO in November 2023, succeeding David Potts.

His appointment ended a Carrefour career that had lasted approximately 28 years.

According to the official Morrisons leadership profile, he brought extensive experience in stores, merchandising, supply chains and information technology.

He also became a director of Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited and Market Topco Limited.

Why Morrisons Selected Him

Morrisons was facing strong competition, pressure on market share and the financial effects of its private-equity takeover.

The company needed an executive with experience in operational improvement and large-scale retail transformation.

Baitiéh had already managed Carrefour businesses in different economic and cultural environments.

His record of focusing on product availability, customer complaints and store standards made him a suitable candidate for a supermarket business seeking renewed growth.

Like legal entrepreneur Thomas Goodhead, his career shows how direct leadership can bring attention as well as scrutiny.

Changes at Morrisons

After joining Morrisons, Baitiéh began visiting stores and examining problems at ground level.

He paid attention to details such as:

• Empty shelves
• Damaged products
• Incorrect labels
• Store temperature
• Shopping baskets
• Customer complaints
• Employee interaction with shoppers

He also introduced regular discussions involving senior managers, store teams and customer feedback.

Monthly customer roundtables were used to help managers understand problems directly from shoppers.

His strategy placed greater emphasis on price competitiveness, product availability, customer service and seasonal execution.

Leadership Style

Baitiéh is known for an energetic, visible and demanding leadership style.

He believes senior managers should spend time understanding the daily experiences of customers and store employees.

His management philosophy is sometimes described as an inverted pyramid.

Under this approach, customers and frontline workers sit at the top of the organisation, while senior executives exist to support them.

He also believes employees should have enough authority to solve basic customer problems without waiting for several management approvals.

Public Response and Criticism

Baitiéh’s methods have produced both positive and critical reactions.

Supporters credit him with bringing urgency, stronger operational discipline and closer attention to customers.

Some reports have also connected his early period at Morrisons with falling complaint numbers and improving sales momentum.

However, anonymous employees quoted in media reports described some meetings and training exercises as overly intense.

Baitiéh later acknowledged that some early practices may have been excessive. He adjusted certain meeting arrangements after receiving employee feedback.

This response demonstrated that his leadership style, while demanding, could still change when evidence showed that a different approach was needed.

French Military Reserve Role

Outside retail, Baitiéh serves as a colonel in the citizen reserve of the French Air and Space Force.

The position is separate from his supermarket career but reflects his interest in national service, leadership and organised training.

He has publicly expressed pride in his connection with the French reserve.

Mentoring and Industry Work

Baitiéh has participated in mentoring activities connected with universities including Oxford, Cambridge and IE University.

He has also supported the development of younger business professionals through educational events and leadership discussions.

His official profile lists involvement with professional organisations promoting diversity and development within retail and consumer industries.

He has additionally served as president of GroceryAid, a charity that supports people working or previously employed in the grocery sector.

Personal Interests

Baitiéh’s public social-media profile identifies food, travel and sailing among his interests.

These interests connect naturally with an international career that has taken him across Europe, Asia, South America and the United Kingdom.

His public posts largely focus on store visits, employees, farming, food production, business education and leadership.

He maintains a professional public image centred more on work and industry activities than private family life.

Career Timeline

Year	Career Development
1995	Joined Carrefour in store operations
2006	Moved to Carrefour Poland
2011	Progressed to a senior role in Turkey
Later period	Worked in Romania
February 2015	Became executive director of Carrefour Taiwan
January 2018	Became executive director of Carrefour Argentina
2019–2020	Led Carrefour Spain
July 2020	Became executive director of Carrefour France
September 2023	Announced as incoming Morrisons CEO
November 2023	Started as chief executive of Morrisons
2025	Became president of GroceryAid
2026	Continued leading Morrisons’ operational strategy

Carrefour’s official executive appointment announcement confirms his progression through store, merchandise, technology, supply-chain and international executive roles.

Major Career Achievements

Baitiéh’s most important achievements include:

• Building a career from junior store operations to national CEO positions.
• Developing an ordering tool used across Carrefour operations.
• Managing Carrefour businesses in several international markets.
• Leading Carrefour France from 2020.
• Creating a customer-centred operational framework.
• Supporting internal staff training and promotion.
• Becoming Morrisons CEO in November 2023.
• Leading customer-service and availability improvements in the UK.
• Supporting British farming and food-production investment.
• Serving as a mentor and grocery-industry charity leader.

Current Position

As of June 2026, Rami Baitiéh remains chief executive officer of Morrisons.

His current work focuses on improving supermarket operations, strengthening customer loyalty, supporting British suppliers and making Morrisons more competitive within the UK grocery market.

His long-term success will depend on whether these operational improvements translate into sustained market-share and financial growth.

Interesting Facts

• He was born in Lebanon and moved to France as a teenager.
• He joined Carrefour in 1995.
• His first major success involved creating an automated ordering tool.
• He worked across Europe, Asia and South America.
• He managed Carrefour businesses in Taiwan, Argentina, Spain and France.
• He spent approximately 28 years with Carrefour.
• He became Morrisons CEO in November 2023.
• He is connected with the French Air and Space Force citizen reserve.
• He mentors students and emerging business leaders.
• His publicly listed interests include food, travel and sailing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Rami Baitiéh?

He is a French retail executive and the chief executive officer of Morrisons.

How old is he?

He is 55 years old as of June 2026.

When was he born?

He was born in May 1971.

Where was he born?

He was born in Lebanon.

What is his nationality?

He is French.

When did he join Morrisons?

He became Morrisons CEO in November 2023.

Where did he work before Morrisons?

He spent approximately 28 years with Carrefour.

Which Carrefour businesses did he lead?

He held leadership roles in Taiwan, Argentina, Spain and France.

What is his leadership style?

His approach focuses on customers, frontline employees, store standards and direct accountability.

What is the 5/5/5 method?

It is a customer-management framework based on trust, service and proximity.

Conclusion

Rami Baitiéh’s career reflects steady progress from supermarket store operations to the leadership of a major British retailer.

His success was built on practical retail experience rather than a direct move into executive management. Work in technology, merchandising and supply chains gave him a detailed understanding of how supermarkets operate.

His international assignments at Carrefour strengthened his ability to manage businesses facing different economic and customer challenges.

At Morrisons, his customer-first approach and demanding leadership have already brought visible changes. His next challenge is turning those operational improvements into lasting growth within the highly competitive UK grocery market.