ESSEC Appointments: Banque de France, Francis Bouygues Foundation, Decathlon, Mercer, PepsiCo France…

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A future Governor of the Banque de France, a Chairman of the Fondation Francis Bouygues, a new CEO for Mercer France, a new Managing Director for PepsiCo France… A selection of recent appointments within the ESSEC network.

Following approval from Members of Parliament on 20 May, Emmanuel Moulin (E92)  will become the next Governor of the Banque de France. This senior civil servant headed the French Treasury from 2020 to January 2024, before becoming Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. Since 15 April 2025, he has served as Secretary General of the Élysée Palace, succeeding Alexis Kohler (E95). He takes over from François Villeroy de Galhau, Governor since 2015, who chose to step down around a year and a half before the scheduled end of his term, initially due to run until the end of 2027. In June 2026, the latter will become Chairman of the Fondation Apprentis d’Auteuil, succeeding Jean-Marc Sauvé.

Pierre Auberger (E83) has been appointed Chairman of the Fondation Francis Bouygues. Created in 2005 by Martin Bouygues in tribute to his father, this corporate foundation works to promote equal opportunities in access to higher education. Since its creation, it has supported 1,540 students from modest backgrounds in pursuing higher studies. Former Communications Director of the Bouygues group, Pierre Auberger spent more than twenty years with the company. He notably supported ESSEC’s “Why Not Me?” programme and is a sponsor of the EWA Boost’ programme run by the ESSEC Women Alumni Club.

Isabelle Hernu-Sfeir (MBA18) has been appointed CEO of Mercer France with effect from 1 June 2026. Based in Paris, she will report to Fabrice Domange, CEO of Marsh France. Since 2024, she had served as CEO of Mercer Switzerland. A graduate of both UPMC and ESSEC, and a qualified actuary in both France and the United Kingdom, Isabelle Hernu-Sfeir has spent most of her career at Mercer, which she joined in 2003. 

Florence Audoyer-Missakian (M98) has been appointed Managing Director of PepsiCo France as of 15 April 2026. She joins the American group, owner of brands including Pepsi-Cola, Gatorade, Mountain Dew and SodaStream, after more than twenty years at Nestlé, where she had served since 2024 as Managing Director for Confectionery & Snacking across France, Benelux and the Nordic countries. During her career, she notably held the role of Global Head of Marketing & Communications for the KitKat brand before taking on multi-country general management positions in Europe and Latin America. 

Nathalie Jacquier (E06) has become Global Brand and Marketing Director at Decathlon. She joined the retailer in 2022 after working at Carrefour as Strategic Marketing, Brand and Media Director (France and Group), following seven years with the agency BETC Shopper. 

Sébastien Metzger (E06) has been appointed General Counsel and Company Secretary of Wendel. He will continue to oversee the company’s M&A legal department as well as corporate governance and compliance for the French investment firm. He began his career at Wendel in 2008 as an M&A lawyer, before being promoted to Deputy General Counsel in January 2018, then Head of Legal M&A and Finance in 2022. 

Claire Lénart Turpin (E05) has become Managing Director of the Culture Division of Groupe Les Échos Le Parisien, which includes the titles Connaissance des Arts, Historia, Mezzo, Medici.tv, Citadelles & Mazenod, In Fine éditions d’art, Fine Arts Paris, Le Salon du Dessin, EuroArts GmbH and Heliox. Having joined the Group in 2012, she successively led Investir-Journal des Finances, Radio Classique and Le Parisien Magazine. She also serves on the boards of Mezzo and Medici.tv.

Nathalie Piar (M24) has taken on new responsibilities within LCL, becoming Chief of Staff to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer. She joined LCL in 2020 as Head of Advisory and Negotiation for Corporate Restructuring before becoming Director of Corporate Commitments in 2023. 

Inès Delacour (IMHI 17) has joined La Seine Musicale as Director of Services. A graduate of Saint-Cyr and a Captain in the French Army, she later moved into hospitality, first as Operations Manager at the Musée Maillol and then as Deputy Site Director at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. She will now be responsible for ensuring a smooth, welcoming and high-performing environment for visitors to the concert venue, which hosts nearly 200 events each year. 

Cécile Leroi (E97) has been appointed President of Henkel France. She will also retain her role as Managing Director of the Consumer Brands Retail division. Headquartered in Düsseldorf, the German group operates across two main markets: adhesives, sealants and surface treatments for industry and consumers, and consumer goods including detergents, household products and haircare cosmetics. She joined Henkel 28 years ago. 

Farid Dussourd (M14) has been appointed Chief of Staff to the Head of Compliance for the Americas region at BNP Paribas. In this role, he joins Gilles Karpowicz, the Group’s Chief Compliance Officer Americas.

Awards & Recognition 

The Competition & Regulation team at law firm BDGS has been named “Competition / European Law - Law Firm of the Year” at the Chambers and Partners France Awards 2026. The distinction recognises the work of a team of 14 barristers, including François Gordon (E04).