France: Beer and wine conglomerate Castel Group facing internal turmoil

France’s beer and wine conglomerate, Castel Group, is facing internal turmoil as family tensions and executive departures disrupt the company’s leadership, Birr Metrics reported on December 18.

Alain Castel, nephew of 99-year-old founder Pierre Castel, resigned this month from his role as director of Luxembourg-based D.F. Holding, the Castel Group entity that oversees much of the family’s global beverage operations, Bloomberg reported. Reports suggest Alain, alongside Pierre Castel’s daughter Romy, is seeking to oust the company’s CEO, Gregory Clerc.

Clerc, a Swiss national and former tax lawyer for the family, has led Castel’s operations for two years, marking the first time an outsider has headed the sprawling empire. In a LinkedIn statement, he acknowledged a “troubled” undercurrent within the firm but stressed he has the board’s “full support” to drive growth and development.

The dispute highlights the challenges of generational succession in family-run businesses, particularly when an outsider assumes leadership. Romy Castel, reportedly seeking an extraordinary general meeting of the Investment Beverage Business Fund—which ultimately controls D.F. Holding.

The broader Castel empire spans 22 African countries with beer, soda, sugar plantations, flour, and distillery operations. It also includes the French wine business Castel Frères, along with Nicolas wine stores and online seller Vinatis. Political tensions in Africa, declining wine consumption in France, and global disruptions such as the war in Ukraine have already tested the group’s resilience.