ESSEC Appointments: Ademe, TF1, Ipsos, Hermès, Axa, Bpi, Radio France, and More

General management roles and international positions in major groups or for iconic brands, in varied sectors ranging from environmental transition, media and insurance to the luxury, food, and public sectors. Here’s a round-up of the recent appointments within the ESSEC network.

Boris Ravignon (E97) has been appointed President of French Agency for Environmental Transition (ADEME), which was allocated a €4.2 billion budget in 2023 for the decarbonisation of French society. Also a graduate of ENA (the French Public Service School), he began his career as a finance inspector before joining the Ministry of the Interior as a technical advisor for ‘studies and forward planning’. He then joined the Office of President Nicolas Sarkozy, where he was responsible for sustainable development, transport and urban development. Boris Ravignon was simultaneously elected Mayor of Charleville-Mézières and President of the Ardenne Métropole Authority. He was later elected President of the Grand Est Region, in charge of the economy, public procurement and European funds.

Isabelle Le Bot (E93) has been appointed Chief Executive of the La France Mutualiste group. Also a graduate of the Paris Bar, she began her career with AXA, where she held various senior management positions, in particular for AXA France, as Partnerships Director, Sales Development and Multi-channel Marketing Director, Professional Market Director, and finally, as Head of Distribution and Economic Management of Networks. She then joined Matmut as Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Business Relations.

Amaury Valicon (E97) has been appointed Chief Executive of Performance for the Geodis group. After seven years with BNP Paribas and Bayerische Landesbank in the structured finance and securitisation field, he joined the Mergers & Acquisitions department of SNCF Participations prior to moving to SNCF Logistics, where he rose to the position of Financial Director. He then became Financial Director for the Geodis group.

Claire Basini (E98) has been appointed Deputy Chief Executive for BtoC activities in the TF1 Group, and has also joined the Group’s Executive Board. Prior to this, the marketing, media and entertainment specialist was Deputy Chief Executive in charge of new activities for the media firm Brut, having previously co-founded the cosmetics brand Seasonly. She also worked for L’Oréal and was Digital Director of Canal+.

Caroline Le Moal (E04) has been appointed CEO of Havas Média France. She has been with the group for 15 years, notably managing the development of Havas Sports & Entertainment, prior to taking over the management of new business, marketing and communication for Havas Media Group France.

Luc Callebat (E86) has been appointed President for Central & Eastern Europe at CRH, the world leader in building materials. Also a graduate of INSEAD, he began his career in the energy sector with ExxonMobil and Bolloré. Luc Callebat then held various financial management positions at Lafarge, in Poland and Algeria in particular, as well as internationally. He has been working for CRH for more than 7 years. 

Eric Bonnet-Maes (M90) has been appointed President for Continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa of LexisNexis Group, the B2B legal research software and solutions publisher, active in more than 100 countries. He began his career with HP, where he spent more than 10 years in various sales and marketing roles. Eric Bonnet-Maes then became Sales & Marketing Director of the consultancy SVP, prior to becoming Chief Executive of the distribution firm Europarts. He joined LexisNexis Group 15 years ago, where he has held various management positions.

Jocelyn Olive (E05) has been appointed Deputy Chief Executive of Teract, the group that owns the Jardiland, Gamm vert, Frais d’ici and Bio&Co brands. He began his career in mid-cap private equity funds in France and Europe, prior to joining Burger King and actively participating in the company’s return to France. He was appointed Chief Executive of the Company for France, and went on to conclude the takeover of Quick. Jocelyn Olive then joined Buffalo Grill, turning around and consolidating the firm with the creation of the Napaqaro group, which quickly became the second-largest multi-brand player in the French catering market, thanks in particular to the takeover of Courtepaille and the Click & Savour dark kitchens. 

Michel Guidi (E98) has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of IPSOS, the world’s third-largest survey and opinion poll group. Following his early days with L’Oréal and AT Kearney, he became Vice-President of Operations for the e-commerce and consumer review platform Ciao, in Germany. Michel Guidi then joined Survey Sampling International, where he rose to the position of Chief Customer Officer, prior to being appointed International Chief Executive, first for Research Now and then for Dynata. 

Paul Guyot-Sionnest (E14) has been appointed Director of External Affairs and Chief of Staff to the CEO of Saint Laurent. He began his career in finance with Crédit Agricole in New York followed by Lazard in Paris. He then moved into politics, via the French Ministry of Agriculture, and went on to become advisor to Bruno Le Maire for five years. Paul-Guyot-Sionnest has spent the last 10 years with the Kering group, rising to the management of institutional affairs. 

Vincent Viard (M03) has been appointed Director of Hermès Home collections. He began his career in consultancy before moving into the fashion sector to act as Product, Image and Architecture Director for De Fursac. He then joined Hermès Home, where he has spent the last 10 years in various marketing, merchandising and event roles. Prior to this most recent appointment, Vincent Viard was Director of Business Identity. 

Isabelle Paradis (E09) has been appointed as Product & Retail Director with Goyard. She began her career in marketing with Louis Vuitton, then moved to Chanel to become Project Coordinator, before being appointed Head of Leather Goods at Christian Dior Couture, and Head of Leather Goods and Accessories at Hermès. Isabelle Paradis has been with Goyard for seven years, holding various management positions. 

Sibylle Quéré-Becker (E80) has been appointed Director of Diversity and Inclusion at AXA France. She spent the early part of her career in the finance sector with Eurogroup Consulting, before becoming Secretary General of Banque Worms. She moved to AXA 25 years ago, holding successive positions as Director of Programmes, Director of Health Services & Individual Cover, and Director of Social Development. Sibylle Quéré-Becker has also been Vice-President of the French Insurance Federation’s Social Commission for six years. 

Géraldine Segond (E00) has been appointed Head of Financial Services at Capgemini. She previously spent 20 years with Deloitte, where she was promoted to the Executive Committee as HR Director for France and French-speaking Africa. Géraldine Segond is also the treasurer of ESSEC Alumni. 

Adeline Lemaire (E03) has been appointed Executive Director in charge of Funds of Funds at Bpifrance. She began her career with the Agence Française de Développement [French Development Agency], funding infrastructure and urban development projects in emerging countries, and was based initially in Dakar before moving to the Paris headquarters. Adeline Lemaire then joined the private equity team at Proparco, where she handled shareholdings in Africa and Asia, before moving to Bpifrance around 10 years ago. 

Tanguy Moillard (BBA 95) has been appointed Director of Communications at Bouygues Telecom. He has been with the group for around 25 years, holding various roles such as Head of Communications for Nomad and Universal Music Mobile, i-Mode Advertising Manager and Social Web Manager. 

Charles-Emmanuel Bon (BBA 96) has been appointed Director of Distribution and Strategic Projects at Radio France. Also a graduate of Sciences Po, he began his career in the Media division of the strategic consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton before joining the RTL Group, where he managed its Internet subsidiary, RTL Internet, prior to taking charge of Development and Technologies at the M6 Radio division. Charles-Emmanuel Bon then moved to Lagardère News, where he was promoted to the Executive Board as Director of Operations and Information Systems, and was responsible for radio and press technologies, Europe1 radio operations and the Group’s institutional relations. 

Agnès de T'serclaes (E00) has been appointed Deputy Chief Executive of the Art Explora Foundation. She began her career with McKinsey, before spending 12 years with Procter & Gamble, and then founded Kidizz, a platform designed to facilitate communication between schools and parents in South America. Agnès de T’serclaes’ most recent post has been as Head of Operations and Development for Art Explora.   

Joël Gaudeul (BBA 03) has been appointed Chief Operating Officer at France Digitale, a non-profit organisation representing more than 1,800 entrepreneurs and investors in the French digital sector. This former Ubisoft employee is no stranger to management roles in digital start-ups, having been Chief Operating Officer at Adictiz, Chief Operating & Marketing Officer at Bolden, Chief Marketing Officer at Ulule, Chief Marketing Officer at Mention, and Chief Revenue Officer & Chief Marketing Officer at Hivency, the influence marketing solution co-founded by Sylvain Gasc (BBA 15). 

Christophe Maurin (E17) has been appointed Deputy Chief Executive in charge of resources for the Pays de Dreux conurbation, which encompasses 120,000 inhabitants and 81 municipalities. This holder of an Urban Economy Chair specialisation and graduate of the Sorbonne, the École Normale Supérieure and the National Institute for Territorial Studies began his career in consulting with PwC, specialising in the public sector. Christophe Maurin then joined the Dreux conurbation as Director of Finance. He also teaches at ESSEC and is the administrator of the non-profit group Population et Avenir, which provides information and analyses on demographic trends, geography and population history.

Philippe Malagola (EXEC M95) has been appointed President of the Port de Sète. His career highlights include posts as Regional Delegate for Engie, Director at Enedis and President of the Polytech board. According to the official statement on his appointment: ‘In his public-service missions, he has constantly promoted environmental transition and the development of electric mobility and renewable energy, while guiding the economic growth of regional businesses. Attractiveness, economic development, employment, energy transition and sovereignty are the challenges laid down in our road map for the sustainable growth of the port.’  

Céline Mennesson (EXEC M05) has been appointed Director of Communication for Seine Grands Lacs, the regional public body for the catchment area that manages flood prevention and maintains the flow rates of the River Seine and its affluents, i.e. the water resources of 19 departments, 4 regions and more than 12 million inhabitants. She was previously Deputy Regional Director of Communication and Marketing for the Ile -de-France Chamber of Trade & Crafts. 

Camille Sztejnhorn (E02) has been appointed Director of Environmental, Social and Governance Impacts for the Lefebvre Sarrut group, the European leader in legal, fiscal and regulatory expertise. Also a graduate of Sciences Po, she began her career in media by co-founding Sofa magazine, prior to joining Médiamétrie as Director of Accounts. She then moved into strategic and management consulting with the French firm Vertone, before joining Lefebvre Sarrut, where she worked for Dalloz as Marketing Director and Head of the BU for universities and bookshops. Camille Sztejnhorn was subsequently appointed Director of Innovation at group level. At the same time, she co-founded Lutila, a start-up that organises team events with social and environmental aims. She also teaches at Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, is an ESSEC mentor and volunteers for the Emmaüs Alternatives and Toits Vivants charities.

Jean-François Delorme (E86) has been appointed as a partner at EY. As Secretary General of Carte Bleue, this specialist in payment methods, inter-bank systems and international networks led the development of the Carte Bleue credit card with French banks, and carried out the sale and integration of Carte Bleue at Visa Europe, where he was Senior Vice President for Services & Support. Jean-François Delorme was then appointed Strategic Advisor to the Board of Visa International, before leading the digital transformation of the Agence Nationale pour les Chèques-Vacances [French National Agency for Holiday Vouchers] in 2016, through the digitalisation of the holiday voucher payment method. Prior to joining EY, he managed the Payments Consulting practice at DXC Technology.

Adrien Fourmon (M04) has been appointed as a partner at the Jeantet law firm. This lawyer specialising in public, energy and environmental law began his career with Hugo-Leplage & Associés, prior to his appointment as Legal Officer for Structured Finance within the Energy, Environment and Real Estate Financing Department at Bpifrance. He has been with Jeantet since 2020. 

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