Thomas was born on 16 June 1947, in the Burgundy region of France to a family of winemakers, and graduated from ESCP Business School.
[1] Thomas started his career in 1969 at International Telephone & Telegraph, a US manufacturing company.
[2] In 1971, he joined Pampryl, a French fruit juice producer founded by his grandfather, and then owned by Pernod Ricard.
[2] In 1980, he became chief financial officer (CFO) of Pernod Ricard, and later the UK managing director.
[2] In 1989, he joined Hermès as chief operating officer (COO), and left in 1997 to become CEO of Lancaster Group, a cosmetics company, and then became the first non-family member to be CEO of the scotch whisky producer William Grant & Sons.