Data & EU, Rafale, Olympic Games, Gender Equality, Laicity, Influthieves and SF…ESSEC in the Media

Leaders in France and overseas, engaged citizens, experts, entrepreneurs and artists...ESSEC is making waves in all fields! Press review

Leaders

In Le Monde, Nicolas Gomart (E85), Vice President and Managing Director of the Matmut Group, warned: ‘The new European framework for access to financial data may backfire on the consumer.’ He points in particular to a perverse effect of the regulation currently under negotiation: ‘If we allow broad access to data for outside players who are not necessarily insurers, such as the GAFAM, they will focus on the best risks and insure them at very competitive rates. In doing so, they will neglect the remaining risks which historical players will no longer be able to insure without raising premiums significantly. Risks will be demutualized, leading to a two-tier insurance system that will be extremely disadvantageous for the most vulnerable populations.’ 
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In Le Journal du Dimanche, Fabien Versavau (EXEC MBA 13), CEO of Rakuten (ex-PriceMinister), claimed: ‘We’ve created the largest online shopping centre.’ This achievement crowns ten years of transformation, enabling the platform to become profitable in France within a highly competitive context.
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On BFM TV, Anne-Charlotte Deroure Fredenucci (E98), CEO of the Ametra group, announced 250 recruitments for the company’s design activities in aviation and aeronautics equipment: ‘We manufacture part of the flight commands for Dassault’s Rafale, slingshots for the Ariane rocket, parts of the armoured vehicles which protect our troops, and SMR to lower the pollution level of France’s nuclear output.’
Watch the programme (starts at 7’25) (in French)

In Forbes, Mathieu Sidokpohou (E98), Managing Director Europe of Adidas, revealed the brand’s strategy in the run-up to the Paris Olympic Games, and beyond. Actions include the naming of a brand new arena in a working-class district of Paris, promotion of sporting activities among young girls, staff diversification and a partnership with France’s national handball team.
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See also our interview (in French)

In Le Monde, Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (E02) affirmed: ‘The profits generated for France by the Olympic Games will far outstrip their cost.’ She also allayed fears over the security of the event and the controversy surrounding the participation of Russian athletes.
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In Le Parisien, Alain Ribat (E87), Paris Regional Director of SNCF Voyageurs, shared the details of his action plan to turn around the network which transports 70% of SNCF’s customers, and to absorb the additional million passengers expected during the Olympic Games this summer. ‘We will fulfil our commitments to restore pre-COVID services.’
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Engagement

In Les Échos, Bénédicte Tilloy (E82) co-signed an op-ed advocating ethics for artificial intelligence. ‘No-one foresaw that electricity would both keep people alive on respirators and take the lives of convicts sentenced to the electric chair. The people behind major discoveries do not always concern themselves with their use; it is those appropriating the innovation who shape its success for better or worse. We entrepreneurs must take responsibility for the users of our solutions.’ 
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In Ouest France, Fabienne Alamelou Michaille (E92) and her co-author Bertrand Badré presented their work Des Femmes et des hommes, le pouvoir en partage [‘Men and Women, Power through Sharing’] published by Actes Sud. ‘This book is a manifesto for peace, a call to build a truly mixed society together. We mustn’t argue that it was men’s turn for thousands of years, and now it’s women’s turn.’ They point out that ‘modern sexism believes that things have been settled, and that we do too much for women. There’s a form of self-deception around the reality of power sharing.’
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On the Ondes de l’Immo real estate website, Karine Julien-Elkaïm (M98), CEO of the Polylogis social housing organisation, presents her actions for affordable, inclusive and high-quality housing. ‘We offer a genuine residential path with solutions adapted to each step of life. For example, we can provide you with social housing when you are a student or young worker, followed by a home-owning scheme, and then a place in a serviced residence for your senior years.’
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See also our interview (in French)

Experts

On France Inter, Patrick Weil (E80), historian, political scientist and senior researcher at the CNRS, looks back at the 2004 law he helped to shape on religious symbols in schools. Is the law adequate or has it reached its limits? How does he view the resignation of the principal of Ravel high school in Paris, further to a dispute with a student who refused to remove her veil? 
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In La Tribune, Olivier de Guerre (E79), CEO of the engaged management firm Phitrust, took stock of the 2024 general assembly season through the prism of company leaders’ pay, climate issues and non-financial reporting. He warned: ‘We are opposed to share repurchases for colossal sums.’
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France 2 TV’s Cash Investigation devoted a report to member of parliament Stéphane Vojetta (E97) and his fight against abusive influencers. ‘“Influthieves” consider themselves above the law and abuse the trust of their followers to earn money off their backs. They share a dangerous sense of impunity, and even if 40 influencers have been referred to the courts, things are moving too slowly.’ 
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In Les Échos, economist Laurence Daziano (EXEC MBA 04) asserted that ‘the competitiveness of the European economy and thus EU sovereignty calls for huge investment in artificial intelligence.’ 
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On Europe 1, Pierre Boulud (E94), Managing Director of BioMérieux, revealed the key role of in vitro diagnosis in fighting antibiotic resistance and improving public health. ‘Viruses and bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics when they are used wrongly or too often. The WHO describes this as a silent pandemic. That’s why we’re developing antibiogrammes that tell the doctor which antibiotic to choose and the minimum dose to prescribe.’ 
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On TF1, Moundyr Gainou (EXEC MBA 17) took stock of the electric vehicle market in France. ‘On one hand, rental operators are back-pedalling and returning to petrol vehicles. On the other, governments and the EU continue to push massively for a single electric solution. In the balance, we’re seeing traditional makers hesitating between two paths, and younger manufacturers between two launch strategies: either create their own after-sales network, or forge partnerships with historical dealers. And what about the customers? They’re lost! The solution may lie in something wider than a binary offer, to include hydrogen and retro-fitting, etc.’
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See also our interview  (in French)

In Forbes, Ni Pan (E16) and Xiaoyan Chen (E15) explored emerging trends in Chinese industry and e-commerce. ‘The sector’s penetration is reaching unprecedented levels, fuelled by the rise in Generation Z consumers. The integration of social media platforms such as TikTok and Xiaohongshu and their growing adoption rates mean influencers and content creators have a key role to play in promoting and selling goods. The notion of the shopping experience based on virtual and augmented reality is also gaining ground.’ 
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On BFM TV, Caroline Adam (EXEC PROG 16), chief delegate of the SP2C trade organisation, which represents the main French companies in the externalised customer experience sector, responded to listeners’ questions on the best practices to adopt in this business field. A human or automated chatbot? With or without artificial intelligence? How can we make ChatGPT answers more natural?
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On the Welcome to the Jungle website, Laure Rudelle Arnaud (E07), Chief People & Impact Officer at Brevo, debunks the myths around the human resources profession. ‘“You’re Inhuman Resources”, “The HR girls are nice, but what do they do exactly?”, “You work in HR, your job is to fire people”, “In the event of a dispute, say nothing to HR”... We hear these clichés every day. They can be hurtful and do not reflect the reality of our job.’ 
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In Entreprendre magazine, Marie de Gaalon (E03) shared her take on the profession of coach: ‘It’s important for me to remain non-formatted. I bring a slightly impertinent touch which allows my clients to take great sidesteps and boost their creativity. I work with them in an atmosphere of joy, informal banter and vivacity.’ 
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International

On the WWD website, Momo Kanayama (E08) takes stock of her commitments since her appointment as CEO of Parfums Givenchy & Kenzo for LVMH Fragrance Brands in Japan. ‘I’ve worked in particular to develop our CSR and D&I policy. We were lagging behind other countries in this area, especially in terms of LGBTQI+ rights.
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On the Business Times website, Emmanuelle Quentin (M08) describes her career path from chemical engineer in the USA to the vice-presidency of an international medtech in Singapore. She also wrote a book and teaches yoga!
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Ouest France devoted a feature to Christian Forthomme (E84), who ‘has been organising initiation courses in the Californian ecosystem, to inspire, guide and assist business leaders from around the world’ for more than 30 years. Thanks to a privileged vantage point, he has opened the doors of Silicon Valley to the executive boards of companies such as EDF, Mitsubishi, Ubisoft, Décathlon, Banque Populaire, or Nissan.
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On Wellbeing Magazine website, Marieka Finot (BBA 10) retraces her career from trader in London to financial empowerment coach in Lisbon. Her guiding line is to reach holistic well-being.
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Entrepreneurship

On France Inter, Arnaud Bayle (E15), presented his Klineo platform, which helps patients to find the geographically closest clinical trial related to their pathology. ‘20% of clinical trials in oncology fail due a lack of participants. The aim of the start-up is to lower this figure.’ The idea was inspired by the founder’s own experience as a medical oncologist at Europe’s leading cancer centre, Gustave Roussy.
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Europe 1 showcased Koraï, founded by Jeimila Donty (E17) and specialised in the restoration of bleached coral reefs. ‘Along Africa’s Indian Ocean coastlines, no less than 12,000km² of coral reefs face total extinction by 2070, due to fishing, tourism, storms, pollution and rising temperatures. This young start-up offers to reduce companies’ carbon credits in exchange for funding to develop coral, mangrove and sea grass nurseries.’ 
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On Europe 1, Tristan Maurel (E20) recounted the history of his start-up Umiami, from the initial idea to create a plant-based alternative to meat with a lower environmental impact, to its incubation at ESSEC Ventures, an ESSEC Founders Day prize in 2021, capital raising of €100 million and the opening of a factory in Alsace.
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In Forbes, Arnaud Delacour (E10) presented his aim to transform the food industry with his start-up The Very Food Co, which hopes to replace the eggs and dairy used in most recipes by sustainably-produced plant-based substitutes. His project was selected to be among the first batch of ESSEC’s incubator at Station F, co-founded by the school and ESSEC Alumni.
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France 2 praised the virtues of Kikleo, an anti-food waste solution for the catering sector, co-founded by Martin d’Agay (E22) and Vincent Garcia (E22). ‘Thanks to sensors located over trays and in kitchens, artificial intelligence analyses uneaten food to help chefs adjust menus and supplies accordingly.’
Watch the video (in French)

Le Monde took a look at ‘two new vehicle-for-hire platforms, which claim to be more advantageous for drivers’, including Comin, co-founded by Dany El Oubari (E18). Among the advantages of this start-up: just 10% commission compared to competitors’ 18% to 25%, governance open to drivers, and the possibility for the latter to become shareholders.
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On Europe 1, Boris Walbaum (E94) presented Forward College, ‘a bachelor course with 300% European opening’, which he is launching for students wishing to go beyond academic excellence and develop their ‘practical, technological, social and emotional’ intelligence for a more positive impact on the world. The Dean of Paris Panthéon Assas University, also a guest on the programme, praised the originality and relevance of this offer.
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On BFM TV, Alexis Bidinot (M11) officialised the partnership between his start-up Qiara and the giant Free, with a view to rolling out his low-cost tele-surveillance equipment across a million households in the next 5 years. ‘Right now, just 10% of French households are equipped. The market potential is huge.’
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Les Échos featured Gleeph, ‘the up-and-coming social network for book-lovers’, founded by Guillaume Debaig (E92). ‘In particular, this application allows readers to build up a virtual library by scanning the works on their bookshelves or those that interest them, chat with other users, receive suggestions, or set up a wish-list. With 750,000 subscribers to date, it offers a substantial data bank which it monetises by selling tools and services to the publishing sector.
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On BFM TV, Léa Egger (E24), the woman behind the responsible cosmetics brand Pardi, listed the features of her flagship product: a glass mascara with a reusable brush. ‘The mascara washes off in water but is nevertheless rain-resistant, and its formula contains recycled ingredients such as coffee ground, orange skin and oat bran.’ 
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The Maddyness website showcased Jean-Michel Chalayer (BBA 09) and his platform, Jena, which centralises all the functions solo entrepreneurs in the cosmetics and well-being sector need to manage their activity: a booking system, payment solution, CRM tool and more. ‘You no longer have to juggle between a million applications nor drown in administrative paperwork; build your empire from your smartphone!’ The start-up has just raised £1.2 million to invest in the UK market and its 5 million potential professional customers.
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In Elle, Laure Baille (E19) looked back at the beginnings of Rafale, the sustainable shopping marketplace she co-founded. ‘Having spent years with major luxury brands, and frustrated by the lack of engagement in terms of transparency, we came together over the idea that fashion needed a breath of fresh air.’
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On the Maison du Savoir-faire & de la Création website, Marguerite Courtois (E17) shares the manufacturing secrets behind Courtois Paris, the Living Heritage Enterprise she founded and which has become ‘an international reference in French-made millinery.’ She revealed: ‘Customers who come to us in Paris discover our collection of some 400 shapes. We do the prototyping, work on the wool and carry out a lot of finishing touches, in addition to a bespoke service. At the historical workshop in Normandy, we do the prototyping for the most complicated models, with wooden features, and the work involving felt and straw. Lastly, the Villvaudé workshop produces hats for larger series using a metal press.’
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Culture & Entertainment 

France Culture spoke to Alain Damasio (E91) on the publication of his latest work, Vallée du silicium, published by Seuil / Albertine.  ‘Neither technophobe nor technophile, but technocritical, this writer is a “mytho-poet’, of the kind that seeks to create contemporary myths and reclaim the imaginary world as one would invade a battle field, to design an art of living alongside technology.’ 
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On Radio Classique, pianist Lydie Solomon (E06) played Ravel and Chopin before revealing her technique and musical approach. ‘What could be more important for an artist than inner freedom? Technical freedom plays a role, of course, in expressing our thoughts, but inner freedom allows us to go beyond labels because everyone has their own place and path to follow. 
Listen to the programme (in French)
See also our profile feature  (in French)

On France Musique, researcher Hélène Daccord (E17) presented highlights of her essay Quand la musique fait l’histoire [When Music Shapes History] published by Passés Composés. ‘Since the 18th century, rivalries between countries have been expressed not only through military and diplomatic acts, but also through music. Music, even without words, has a political echo.’ 
Listen to the programme (in French)
See also our interview (in French)