Forbes Women 2023, New Models, Mental Health, Technology and More...A Round-up of ESSEC in the Media

Leaders, experts, entrepreneurs and award winners; ESSEC is making the headlines in all fields! Press review

Leaders

4 ESSEC graduates feature in the Forbes 2023 list of inspiring women. Cécile Beliot-Zind (E97), CEO of Groupe Bel; Clara Chappaz (E12), Director of La French Tech; Anne Sophie Gervais (E15), Co-Head of the philanthropic accelerator Raise Sherpas, and Florence Rizzo (E07), Co-Founder of Ecolhuma. Congratulations to them!

Figaro TV spoke to Batoul Hassoun (E07), CEO of The Salmon Consulting (Havas Group) and Co-President of Club 21^e Siècle, and asked her if we should raise salaries: ‘With a 5% rise in inflation in 2023, all businesses are faced with this issue. However, we mustn’t underestimate other aspirations and motivations, whether personal (a sense of usefulness, independence, flexibility and career path) or collective (company culture, managerial goodwill and relations with workmates).’ 
See the video (from 45:25 - in French).

Le Monde assessed the achievements of Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux (E84) during his term as president of the French employers’ federation, MEDEF. ‘The boss of bosses, who inherited a divided organisation five years ago, is admired by his peers and trade unions alike for his sense of dialogue.’ He is succeeded by Patrick Martin (E83).
Read an extract (in French)

Commitment

TF1 invited Jean Moreau (E07), founder of Phénix, to inaugurate its new weekly programme Les Nouveaux Modèles [New Models]. ‘Since its launch, this pioneer of the circular economy and anti-food waste has prevented more than 300 million meals from being thrown away.’ 
See the video (in French)

On BFM TV, Jérôme Schatzman (E94), Director of ESSEC’s Centre for Social and Sustainable Innovation called for the measurement of avoided costs to be used as a company performance indicator. ‘This means going from an ethical approach, as in “this company is doing good things” to a more managerial approach. Then we can talk about efficiency; impact entrepreneurs are not just kind people; they also do interesting things.’ 
See the video (in French)

Experts

Amazon Prime Video is releasing the documentary STRoNG, aussi forts que fragiles [STRoNG, Strong Yet Fragile] co-directed by Sylvain Ventre (EXEC M11). It deals with mental health, depression and burnout in sport and features the surfer Jérémy Florès, swimmer Camille Lacourt, skier Perrine Laffont, handballer Valentin Porte and fencer Ysaora Thibus.
See the trailer (in French, with English subtitles)

Le Monde acclaimed the collective publication Le Sens de la tech [Tech Sense], led by Anne-Sophie Moreau (E10), editor-in-chief at Philonomist. ‘Through a series of discussions between thinkers and leaders, the journalist underlines the fact that humans remain responsible for the proper use of technology.’
Read an extract (in French)

Lawyer Benoît Huet (E08) co-signed an op-ed in Le Monde in response to the controversy surrounding the appointment of the new managing editor of the weekly newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. ‘We wish to remind you of a reform proposal we put forward with Julia Cagé in our book L'information est un bien public [Information is Public Property]: in order to qualify for press subsidies or the allocation of an audiovisual wavelength, a media organisation must guarantee that the appointment of a managing editor is approved by a two-third majority vote by all its journalists, with at least 50% electoral participation. This is already common practice at Le Monde, La Croix or Libération.’ 
Read an extract (in French)

On TF1’s main news broadcast, Brice Alzon (M03), chairman of the French Federation of Personal Service Companies (FESP) and member of the MEDEF board of directors, criticised the idea of forcing companies to bear the cost of employee sick leave. Instead, he suggested that ‘convenience leave should be more strictly regulated, which would enable us to recover a workforce in the sectors under pressure.’ 
See the video (in French)

In L’Obs, historian Patrick Weil (E80) shared his view that the 5th Republic suffers from an ‘excess of presidentialism’ hindering the regulation of debates and conflicts, and called for action to rebalance the Constitution.
Read an extract (in French)

On Maddyness, Fanny Picard (E92), founder of the impact investment fund Alter Equity, advocates the idea of an economy which is both profitable and responsible. ‘The companies we have a stake in have avoided 4.6 million tonnes of CO2, in other words 1% of annual emissions in France.’
Read the article (in French).

Le Soir spoke to Jean-Marie Peretti (E67), ‘one of the world’s 50 most influential management authors’ about recent developments in human resources. And there are many, such as the emergence of the 4-day week and well-being policies, the dramatic rise in resignations and absenteeism, and widening generational differences in terms of job expectations.
Read an extract (in French)

Le Petit Journal interviewed Carole Gabay (E92) on the publication of Planète Chine Zéro Covid, trois ans sur orbite [Planet Zero Covid China, Three Years in Orbit]. ‘Our book is neither a forum, a pamphlet nor a eulogy. It presents an interpretation of this major historical event which differs greatly to Western perspectives, thanks to our unique monitoring and analysis of official sources and our personal experience on the ground in direct contact with Chinese culture and society.’
Read the article (in French).

Entrepreneurs

In Challenges, Édouard Lepape (E09) explained how his company NanoXplore upholds national sovereignty in electronics by designing and producing programmable components for the space sector in France.
Read the article (in French).

In Les Échos, Vincent Despatin (BBA 09) spoke of the issues inherent to industrial relocation and described the numerous hurdles faced by companies wishing to produce goods in France. An expert in this field, his consultancy Kickmaker helps start-ups to go from the prototype stage to manufacture and industrialisation.
Read an extract (in French).

France 2 devoted a report to Hestia, the start-up co-founded by Adrien Péligry (BBA 19) and Nino Spiegel (BBA 19), which offers a home rental solution with an option to buy. ‘A monthly rental fee is paid along with a compulsory savings scheme to build a future deposit. The tenant can become an owner at any time if they obtain a loan, or change their mind and leave the flat.’
See the video (in French).

Le Figaro looked into the ‘boom in fractional property offers’ and more specifically Tantiem, the start-up co-founded by Thomas Penet (03) and Éric Prinet (E03), which enables buyers to purchase shares in buildings and retail property. This scheme, previously reserved to professionals, offers private buyers a way to continue investing in real estate despite the explosion in interest rates rendering the market increasingly unaffordable.
Read an extract (in French)

On BFM TV, Pierre-Emmanuel Chadefaux (E17) presented Prosper, his turnkey solution to become the owner of a chateau for as little as €250,000. ‘We remove the financial barrier, firstly by selling time shares to several co-owners, and secondly by offering classified property or listed historical monuments, which entitle buyers to tax exemptions.’ 
See the video (in French).

Le Monde explored gourmet vinegar and the efforts to promote its taste subtleties led by Paul-Olivier Claudepierre (EXEC MBA 12) and David Matheron (EXEC MBA 10), who took over the ancestral family firm Martin-Pouret. ‘The pair are already making waves. The co-directors announced a 130% rise in turnover in four years, and sold more than 700,000 bottles of vinegar in 2022.’
Read an extract (in French).

Les Échos asked Thibaut Saguet (EXEC M11), co-founder alongside Natalie Hanczewski (EXEC M17) of NV Gallery, how design is maintaining its vitality in the context of post-COVID depression. ‘You have to kindle people’s desire, offer them meaningful content and create wonder through events or artistic collaborations.’
Read an extract (in French).

In Les Échos, Arnaud Vanpoperinghe (E95) explained how Tikamoon, his brand of eco-responsible furniture, combines style and sustainability. ‘This entrepreneur aims to revolutionise the market and prove that you can attain exponential growth with products made to last for as long as possible.’
Read an extract (in French).

Marion Dewar (E10) raised the alarm on France Info: ‘Every year, more than 18 million tonnes of paper are wasted on wrapping our bread.’ This is why she created Les Extra-Ordinaires, a brand of zero-waste linen bread bags, made in Anjou.
Listen to the programme (in French).

On BFM TV, Benjamin Dubois (M17) announced the takeover of the brands Juste Pressé and La Jucerie, which join the portfolio of his group MyBrazil / Samba. ‘The aim is to create a French leader in cold-pressed juices in Europe.’
See the video (in French).

In Les Échos, Marie Stoclet Bardon (E91), co-founder of the pastry chain La Meringaie, shared her essential advice, based on her own experience, with anyone hoping to launch into entrepreneurship. In particular, she revealed why she opted for crowdfunding rather than a bank loan.
Read the article (in French).

Welcome To The Jungle tested the anti-sexism escape game (for workplaces) developed by Clément Serio (E11) and his company, Collock. ‘This immersive puzzle is designed to identify inappropriate behaviour in the office, such as improper gestures or jokes and so on. It develops awareness of the right responses to this type of behaviour.’ 
Read the article (in French).

L’Économie showcased Adeline Pelage (E15), winner of the 2023 Pierre Castel prize in Cameroon for her brand of natural, healthy snacks made from sweet potato flour, free of additives and artificial colours.
Read the article (in French).

Bastien Blanc (IMHI 97), co-founder of TroKadero Management, was featured on the cover of Global Hospitality magazine, which ranked him among the 100 most inspiring figures in the tourism and hospitality sector. 

International press 

Ivoire CEO, the Ivory Coast media outlet, ran a feature on Minayegnan Coulibaly (EXEC MBA 18), Managing Director of the West African Economic and Monetary Union Interbank Electronic Payment Systems Group (GIM-UEMOA). ‘Its commitment to the adoption of digital technology has helped to improve access to financial services for numerous citizens in the region.’
Read the article (in French).

In Singapore, The Business Times looked back on the career of Alexander Tan (E13), from French luxury boutiques to Product Director with Mastercard Asia-Pacific, where he is committed to more inclusive finance.
Read the article. 

Did you spot other alumni in the news recently? Let us know! 
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