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 resigned amid mounting crises.
Leribault took over the world’s most visited museum at a time when it had been hit by several crises after a daring jewel heist in October exposed glaring security vulnerabilities.
Thieves dramatically stole the crown jewels worth $102 million within eight minutes.
After the theft, a cascade of problems arose. Previously, the staff went on strike due to worsening working conditions and salary problems, which is why the museum had to close for days.
A water leak then occurred, which damaged book collections. In addition, a prosecutor found a ticket fraud scheme that allegedly took in more than 10 million euros over a decade.
With the repeated structural problems, one of the museum’s galleries has been closed.
Leribault has extensive institutional knowledge. Previously, he served as Deputy Director of the Louvre’s Graphics Department from 2006 to 2012 and has directed the Musée d’Orsay, the Petit Palais and the Musée National Eugène Delacroix.
During his time at Versailles, he tackled similar challenges to the Louvre, including large collections, aging buildings and central cultural significance.
