i. Biography
Coming Up
Baking at House of Pain in Marseille is the kind of work that exposes a baker’s priorities fast: timing, consistency, and control under pressure. Pierre Houlès entered the trade there as co-founder and baker, which meant he was not only producing the work but helping define the shop itself. That combination of making and building matters in baking, where the room, the schedule, and the standard all have to hold together before the first loaf comes out. In Marseille, where people read quality in texture and finish, that early position placed Houlès in a discipline that rewards precision and early starts, but also the judgment to set a bakery in motion and keep it moving. The move from bakery to executive work did not change the demand for rigor; it changed the scale. Pierre Houlès is now Directeur Digital, ia et it; member of the executive committee of Kering. The role sits where technology, strategy, and governance overlap, and it asks for the same kind of exactness that baking does, even if the output is less visible. The progression from House of Pain to Kering shows a career built on adapting process to context: first with dough, heat, and routine, then with systems, tools, and organizational decisions.
Where They Are Now
Digital, ia, and it leadership at Kering places Pierre Houlès in a role where technical choices and business direction meet. As a member of the executive committee, he is part of the group responsible for setting direction at scale, with the work centered on oversight, coordination, and judgment. The through-line from House of Pain in Marseille to Kering is not a matter of reinvention so much as transfer of discipline: careful construction, attention to sequence, and comfort with work that has to hold under pressure.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Pierre
What is Pierre Houlès's current role?
As of 2026, Pierre Houlès is House of Pain.
Where did Pierre Houlès work before?
Pierre Houlès's earlier career included House of Pain.
