The Castel Group rocked by Succession-style family rift
The famously discreet French drinks powerhouse is said to be facing internal turmoil, with its CEO acknowledging “a troubled undercurrent” at the company. db reports.
The rumour mill began churning last month when Alain Castel, nephew of company founder Pierre Castel, and director of D.F Holding, which oversees much of the family’s drinks operations, abruptly resigned.
Reports have since emerged that Alain, along with Pierre Castel’s daughter Romy, may be seeking to oust the company’s CEO, Gregory Clerc, with the pair allegedly unhappy over Clerc’s appointment two years ago on account of the fact that he is not a family member. In a LinkedIn post, Clerc appeared to confirm the unrest, acknowledging a “troubled” undercurrent at the company but insisted he has the board’s “full support”.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Romy Castel was seeking an uncharacteristic general meeting of the Investment Beverage Business Fund, which controls D.F. Holding. The group confirmed that its board met in Luxembourg on 11 December and had lent its support to Clerc, which, says, stocks expert gurufocus, suggests that the dispute “may now be testing governance structures across the group’s layered holding companies.”
Who are The Castel Group?
The Castel Group is a privately held French multinational beverage company founded in 1949 by Pierre Castel and his eight siblings in Bordeaux, where the company continues to be headquartered today. Initially focused on wine, the group expanded into beer, amassing significant operations across Africa particularly, and now produces beer in more than 20 African countries via a number of subsidiaries. In January 2025, The Castel Group acquired an 80.4% stake in Guinness Ghana Breweries from Diageo for US$81 million.
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The group’s annual sales are said to exceed €6.5 billion, encompassing its Castel Frères wine business (which incorporates 20 estates with 1000 hectares of vines across Bordeaux, Languedoc, Provence and the Loire), and its considerable beer interests, The company has around 40,000 employees.
Famously discreet
The group is known for keeping family business concerns under wraps, so the leak concerning the alleged feud will likely come as a blow.
Reports suggest that the appointment of CEO Greory Clerc, formerly a tax lawyer employed by the company, has triggered a wave of ill feeling. Clerc’s hire marked the first time in which an external executive was placed in charge of the group’s global beverage and agricultural operations, and since his arrival Clerc has made some major changes at the group. These changes include consolidating financial reporting across operations that include wine estates, the Nicolas retail chain, online seller Vinatis, and a much larger African brewing and soft-drinks business spanning 61 beer brands, alongside sugar, flour, and distillery assets.
Management has cautioned that declining wine consumption in France, political tensions in parts of Africa, and the ongoing war in Ukraine, could all influence financial performance this year.
db has contacted the business’ wine arm Castel Frères for comment.
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