GS1, the international standards organisation underpinning barcode and QR Code technology, has announced the appointment of Laura Barnac as executive chair of its French division.

A specialist in business transformation, Laura Barnac has led projects for groups such as Unilever and LVMH, as well as for mid-cap companies including Daregal. Co-founder of the start-ups Voka and Melco, focused on innovation and marketing, she has also served as an adviser to Bpifrance and Sakina M’Sa, and oversaw Moët Hennessy’s online operations.

A member of the GS1 France Board of Directors since 2019, Laura Barnac now succeeds Didier Veloso, the organisation’s executive chair for the past four years, beginning a tenure that will be marked by the progressive migration from barcodes to augmented QR Codes.

“Laura Barnac has impeccable credentials and a nuanced understanding of the challenges ahead,” say Bertrand de Senneville and Philippe Lemoine, co-chairs of the Supervisory Board of GS1 France. “She has also demonstrated throughout her career a leadership style grounded in listening and the human element, which will help accelerate and amplify the transformation under way.”

Launched in 1973 in the US with the invention of the barcode, and rolled out in Europe in 1977, GS1’s mission is to ensure technological coordination among all players in commerce with regard to product identification tools. The not-for-profit organisation brings together more than 58,000 member companies in France, and over 2 million worldwide.