Back Again

Véronique Philiponnat has returned to Elle France as head of the magazine that she managed for years, appointed by its owner CMI France to shore up the publication’s position in the country, especially in the digital realm.

She is appointed alongside Erin Doherty, who heads the editorial direction for the magazine.

“The mission of Véronique, alongside Erin, is simple: to reinforce the leadership of the magazine as well as its place at the center of large debates about women’s conditions, and to make it inescapable in the digital realm,” said Claire Léost, president of

CMI France.

Philiponnat was in charge of Elle France until 2014, when she moved to Grazia magazine. She served as editor in chief of Elle magazine in France for more than a decade.

Elle France’s owner, Czech Media Invest, is a media conglomerate in the Czech Republic that is partly owned and managed by billionaire Daniel Kretínsky. It purchased Elle

France from Lagardère Group in 2019 and has also bought radio channels from Lagardère in Eastern Europe.

Lagardère Group, which owns Paris Match magazine and publishing house Hachette, has been shedding magazine assets in recent years with the aim of focusing on publishing and travel retail.

The embattled publishing and retail company, which counts Bernard Arnault and Vivendi as investors, has been selling off its magazine titles over the past decade. In 2011, it sold 102 international titles to Hearst Magazines, including Elle in 15 countries. — MIMOSA SPENCER