Lemana PRO Names Denis Isayev CEO as the DIY Chain Works to Stay Intact Under Temporary Management

Denis Isayev took over as chief executive of Le Monlid LLC, the legal entity behind the Lemana PRO do-it-yourself retail brand formerly known as Leroy Merlin, on September 22, 2026, according to company data published in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities reported by Interfax on September 23, 2026. The appointment lands in the middle of an ownership reset: the retailer's Russian assets were placed under temporary external management in mid-September, and the new chief executive's first task is to keep the chain of home-improvement stores and its supply backbone in Russia running without interruption.

Isayev replaces Defassieu after five years at the helm

Isayev succeeds Laurent Defassieu, who had headed the company since 2021. The register trail offers a glimpse of the new CEO's business background: earlier disclosures showed that Isayev owns 64.5% of Gaztransbank Commercial Bank LLC as of 2017 and 50% of E1-Capital LLC as of 2023, with both companies registered in Krasnodar. It was also previously reported that Isayev chaired the board of directors of Gaztransbank.

A September decree redrew the ownership map

The management change follows a decree published on September 17, 2026, under which the Russian assets of a whole series of large companies in various industries were transferred to the previously little-known JSC L.E.V. Management, a company whose owners are not disclosed. Alongside Lemana PRO, the transfer covered the Russian assets of the Auchan hypermarket group and of Nestle, as well as the logistics operators FM Logistics and Bati Logistics. For a retail network that depends on daily deliveries to stores and distribution centers, the question after such a transfer is operational continuity rather than strategy, which is exactly what the company's subsequent statements address.

• September 17, 2026 - a decree transfers the Russian assets of Lemana PRO, Auchan, Nestle, FM Logistics and Bati Logistics to JSC L.E.V. Management, whose owners are not disclosed.
• September 21, 2026 - Lemana PRO says the temporary manager intends to preserve the asset as a single retail network, keep the current management system and ensure uninterrupted operation of stores and distribution centers.
• September 22, 2026 - Denis Isayev is registered as head of Le Monlid LLC, replacing Laurent Defassieu, CEO since 2021.
• September 23, 2026 - the change is confirmed by company information in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities.

Continuity is the stated priority

On September 21, 2026, Lemana PRO announced that the retailer's temporary manager is interested in preserving the asset as a single retail network, along with its current management system and the uninterrupted operation of stores and distribution centers. "The company's stable operation is directly linked to the supply of the population and the construction industry with goods for home and repair," the company's letter said, adding that the temporary manager intends to preserve the current management system and that there are no plans to change the current top management. In other words, the September 22 appointment of Isayev fits a declared policy of keeping the operating team in place while ownership questions are settled above it.

Auchan moves in parallel

The reshuffle is not limited to one banner. Auchan LLC is now headed by Ilya Berdnikov, who previously worked at the X5 retail group and at the Federal Property Management Agency (Rosimushchestvo). He replaces Asya Balabai, who moved to the post of executive director of the company, according to a Kommersant report published the previous day. Taken together, the two appointments show how quickly the transferred retail assets are being staffed with managers drawn from the domestic market.

Why the change matters for the DIY market

By the company's own description, its stable operation is directly linked to the supply of the population and the construction industry with goods for home and repair, which makes management stability a signal for the suppliers behind those shelves. A registered CEO, a stated commitment to the existing management system and a promise of uninterrupted store and warehouse operation reduce the risk that the ownership transition turns into stock shortages on the shelves. For shoppers and builders, the practical measure of the change will be simple: whether the shelves of the former Leroy Merlin stores stay as full in the winter season as they were before the September decree.