PARIS--Carrefour comms chief Florence Baranes-Cohen is departing the retail group to take charge of Edelman France.

Baranes-Cohen leaves Carrefour after more than a decade with the group, including almost eight years as group communications director, one of the country's highest-profile comms roles.

She will become director-general of Edelman France next week, replacing Isabelle Rahé-Journet, who has led the firm since 2008. Rahé-Journet will leave Edelman later this month.

Under Rahé-Journet, Edelman France effectively doubled in size to around $10m in fee income. Edelman EMEA CEO Robert Phillips, however, believes that the hire of Baranes-Cohen will help take the firm to the next level.

"Our clients will benefit from her broad experience, particularly in the consumer, corporate and digital space," said Phillips. "The reputation and respect she commands will ensure France continues the double-digit growth we have enjoyed over the past few years.

"It’s time for Edelman to be seen as a genuine reference point in France for corporate, digital, technology, health and consumer PR."

Baranes-Cohen began her career in the communications department of Sopexa, where she spent seven years spent promoting French agri-food expertise across the world.

In 2001, she joined the Carrefour group to manage comms for its convenience business unit, before taking on the wider group role and joining the company's management committee.

In 2010,  Baranes-Cohen was named Communications Person of the Year by a peer jury from Communications et Entreprise, France’s Corporate Communications Association. 

In recent months, Edelman has aimed to build a broader profile for its French operation, basing its new global executive positioning offering in the country, and expanding its digital and corporate practices.