PARIS — Retail runs in Nicolas Houzé’s blood.

A fifth-generation member of the French family behind Galeries Lafayette , Houzé joined the business in 2006, led the department store as chief executive officer for more than a decade, then followed his father’s footsteps into the role of chair of the group’s executive board last year.

In addition to steering the Galeries Lafayette Group, he chairs France’s strategic committee for fashion and luxury and presides over the union of city-center retailers. On Dec. 1, he was also named president of the International Association of Department Stores, taking the helm as global retail continues to seek recovery.

Last month, Houzé marked a milestone for the group by opening Galeries Lafayette’s first store in India, which is the country’s f

See Full Page