Laurent Poulet

CEO at Juntoo. Driving growth, strengthening the brand and building a scalable, customer-centric retail model. Focused on product, omnichannel and team performance to shape the next phase of home retail in Belgium. Always looking for opportunities to improve, accelerate and create impact.

Together with the J. Van Belle family, I founded Uriba Estates in 2021. We operate as a family office focused on commercial real estate, but our approach goes beyond traditional “investing”. For us, investing is not only about capital allocation, it’s about long-term value creation and building a strong, relevant retail footprint. By acquiring and upgrading commercial real estate with a long-term perspective, we position ourselves differently from traditional retail investors. We focus on creating quality locations and sustainable partnerships with our tenants, always keeping both performance and experience in mind. Building on my experience as co-owner of Krëfel and Juntoo, I bring a hands-on retail perspective into real estate, with a clear understanding of what makes locations, concepts and partnerships successful. Today, Uriba Estates continues to expand its retail footprint in Belgium, with a strong focus on quality, long-term value and close collaboration with its tenants.

I’m excited to share that I co-founded Sumoring, together with Sophie Verjans, Nhu Truong and Christophe de Viron. The idea was born after discovering a simple but clever neck cooling product in Japan last summer. We saw the potential to bring this concept to the European market and further develop it into a practical, accessible solution. Sumoring is a reusable neck cooler that can be activated in the refrigerator, freezer or under cold water, and provides cooling for up to 90 minutes. It’s designed to offer comfort during warm days, whether at home, at work or while being active. With Sumoring, we aim to combine simplicity, usability and a more sustainable alternative to traditional cooling solutions. Feel free to take a look at our website to learn more. #innovation #productdevelopment #Sumoring

As co-owner of Krëfel, I was part of the board of our family real estate structure, managing a portfolio that included out-of-town retail locations.

Following the sale of the family business, I was closely involved in the first phase of the integration with United B (holding of Boulanger and Electro Dépôt). I contributed to shaping the initial strategic direction and aligning the organisation within this new group context. At the same time, I continued my role as member of the executive committee, with responsibility across several key domains, including overall strategy, purchasing and customer service.

Growing up in the family business, Krëfel has always been part of who I am. I served on the board for over 9 years, contributing to the growth and transformation of the company into a leading omnichannel retailer. Some key milestones during this period: 2012: Acquisition of Hifi International (+€45M revenue, 13 stores + e-commerce) 2014: Acquisition of Darty Luxembourg and integration into Hifi International These transactions led to the creation of a stronger entity through rebranding, the rollout of a solid e-commerce platform and the development of a new +5,000 m² HQ in Contern (Luxembourg). This resulted in a leading omnichannel player with a market share exceeding 50%. 2017: Acquisition of Tones (+€10M revenue) and integration into the Krëfel group 2019: Sale of the Krëfel Group (+€450M revenue) to the Family Mulliez

In this role, I combined responsibility for purchasing with the transformation of key customer-facing functions, including digital marketing, general marketing and customer service (which we evolved into “Customer Happiness”). In a highly competitive and fast-growing environment, I focused on building a lean, customer-centric organisation, placing the customer at the core of our strategy. Key initiatives included: Implementation of integrated tools such as Salesforce to support a more data-driven way of working Migration of krëfel.be to SAP S/4HANA, supporting a +€100M online business and positioning the platform among the top 20 most visited websites in Belgium Upscaling availability and NPS of the Customer Happiness team through new tools and the integration of an external partner. This approach contributed to strengthening Krëfel’s position as a top-of-mind brand and preferred partner for key suppliers such as Samsung, Electrolux, Dyson, Miele, Apple and many more.

I joined the headquarters of the family business in 2011, founded by my grandfather in 1958. In this role, I focused on driving new growth initiatives, including: Launching and building the B2B division Contracting new suppliers and expanding product categories Defining and setting up the company’s digital strategy, including the creation of a dedicated digital team

Store Manager of Krëfel Anderlecht, responsible for daily operations, team performance and commercial results.

Started my career on the shop floor in the Krëfel stores of Dendermonde and Anderlecht Megastore. A hands-on experience that shaped my understanding of retail, customer behaviour and the importance of execution.

Accomplished different management programmes and became a member of Vlerick's alumni community.