The French government has announced the appointment of Christophe Leribault, president of Versailles, as the new director of the Louvre Museum.
The 62-year-old replaced Laurence des Cars after she quit amid growing crises.
Leribault took over the world’s most visited museum at a time when it had been hit by multiple crises following an audacious jewelry theft in October, which exposed glaring security vulnerabilities.
Thieves dramatically stole the crown jewels worth $102 million in eight minutes.
After the robbery, a cascade of problems arose. Previously, staff went on strike due to worsening working conditions and salary issues, forcing the museum to close for days.
Later, a water leak occurred that damaged the book collections. Additionally, a prosecutor uncovered a fine fraud scheme that allegedly diverted more than €10 million over a decade.
Due to repeated structural problems, one of the museum’s galleries has been closed.
Leribault has extensive institutional knowledge. Previously, he was deputy director of the Louvre’s graphic arts department from 2006 to 2012 and directed the Musée d’Orsay, the Petit Palais and the Eugène Delacroix National Museum.
During its time at Versailles, it addressed challenges similar to those of the Louvre, including vast collections, ancient buildings and central cultural importance.
