A graduate of HEC Paris, Vincent joined the group in 1997 as Director of the Airports, Hotels and Motorways network at Relay France. Between 2000 and 2005 he was Sales Director at Relay France, then EVP in charge of Central and Northern Europe until 2007. He then took General Manager roles at SSP and St Gobain before returning to Lagardère Travel Retail as Regional COO for EMEA in 2011. In December 2017, he was made CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail France and COO for the UAE and KSA. In 2024, he added the supervision of Africa and the entire Middle East region to his role. In 2026, he became COO France & Luxembourg and COO MEA & Asia.

Bernard Schlafstein is the CEO of Heinemann Middle East Africa, the regional headquarters of Gebr. Heinemann, a global leader in travel retail.

With nearly two decades at Gebr. Heinemann, he manages the retail and distribution business across the whole MEA region, including 100% entities as well as joint ventures like JR Heinemann, JAH Arabia International Duty Free and Big Five Duty Free. His responsibilities span over more than 40 countries. Previously, Bernard served as Director Sales Middle East Africa, including Turkey. Prior to that, he was responsible for the EECA region, where he played a pivotal role in establishing joint ventures and nurturing long-term distribution partnerships.

His deep regional expertise and strategic leadership continue to shape Heinemann’s growth in emerging markets. Bernard studied International Business Studies and Management at the Regent’s University London.