Capital allocation is the job of deciding where a company's money goes next. That decision changes hands at Coty Inc. (NYSE: COTY) on September 1, 2026, when Soraya Benchikh assumes the chief financial officer role. She succeeds Laurent Mercier, who has held the post for five years.
Where Benchikh comes from
Benchikh's most recent role was CFO of British American Tobacco. Her time at BAT also covered positions including President of BAT France, Area Director for East and Southern Africa, and Regional Finance Director for Europe. She was part of the leadership team that drove BAT's transformation. Before joining BAT, she spent nearly four years at Diageo, most recently as President, Europe. Her career in finance began at General Electric and Gillette. Coty describes her total experience as more than two decades in international finance and general management across global consumer goods companies.
She described her priorities in the role as strengthening the balance sheet and sharpening capital allocation. She said Coty has a clear strategy in place and that she is joining at a point where she sees a real opportunity to accelerate it. She acknowledged that Mercier leaves the finance function in good shape.
The operating context
Coty announced the appointment on August 19, 2026, via an 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The news comes about seven weeks after the company reworked its organizational model. On July 2, Coty brought commercial decision-making closer to the individual markets it serves and merged research and development with supply chain into a single function.
Benchikh joins Coty's Executive Committee and reports directly to Markus Strobel, who holds both the Executive Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer titles. Strobel credited Mercier with strengthening Coty's financial foundation and building greater financial discipline over his five years in the role.
Coty, founded in Paris in 1904, sells fragrance, color cosmetics, and skin and body care products in more than 120 countries through prestige and mass-market channels. The company trades on the New York Stock Exchange and in Paris, both under the ticker COTY. Benchikh's first day is September 1.