70 Notable Alumni of ESSEC Business School Paris

Amélie Oudéa-Castéra

Born in: France
Years: 1978-.. (age 47)
Occupations: officialtennis player
Biography: Amélie Oudéa-Castéra is a French politician, businesswoman, and former professional tennis player who has been serving as Minister of Sports and Olympic and Paralympic Games in the government of successive Prime Ministers Élisabeth Borne and Gabriel Attal from May 2022 to September 2024.

Marie-José Pérec

Born in: France
Years: 1968-.. (age 57)
Occupations: athletics competitorsprinter
Biography: Marie-José Pérec is a retired French track and field sprinter who specialised in the 200 and 400 metres and is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. She was born in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe and moved to Paris when she was 16 years old.

Tony Estanguet

Born in: France
Years: 1978-.. (age 47)
Occupations: kayakercanoeist
Biography: Tony Estanguet is a French slalom canoeist and a three-time Olympic champion in C1 (canoe single). He competed at the international level from 1994 to 2012.

Cécile Duflot

Born in: France
Years: 1975-.. (age 50)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Cécile Duflot is a French non-governmental organisation (NGO) leader and former politician. She has been a government minister and political party leader.

Olivia Grégoire

Born in: France
Years: 1978-.. (age 47)
Occupations: cadres de la fonction publiquepolitician
Biography: Olivia Grégoire is a French politician of Renaissance (RE) who has been serving as Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, Crafts and Tourism under President Emmanuel Macron since 2022.

Alexis Kohler

Born in: France
Years: 1972-.. (age 53)
Enrolled in ESSEC Business School Paris: Studied in 1993
Occupations: official
Biography: Arnaud Alexis Michel Kohler is a French senior official and special adviser. A former director of the cabinet of Pierre Moscovici, then of Emmanuel Macron at the Ministry of Finance, he was appointed secretary general of the Élysée Palace on 14 May 2017.

Franck Riester

Born in: France
Years: 1974-.. (age 51)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Franck Alix Georges Riester is a French politician of Renaissance (RE). He has represented the fifth constituency of Seine-et-Marne in the National Assembly since 2024, having previously held the seat from 2017 to 2018 and briefly in 2022.

Fleur Pellerin

Born in: South Korea
Years: 1973-.. (age 52)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Fleur Pellerin is a French businesswoman, former civil servant and Socialist Party politician who served as a French government minister from 2012 to 2016.

Philippe Sollers

Born in: France
Years: 1936-2023 (aged 87)
Occupations: literary theoristnovelistwriterphilosopherpublisher
Biography: Philippe Sollers was a French writer and critic. In 1960 he founded the avant garde literary journal Tel Quel (along with writer and art critic Marcelin Pleynet), which was published by Le Seuil and ran until 1982. Sollers then created the journal L'Infini, published first by Denoel, then by Gallimard with Sollers remaining as sole editor.

Alain Damasio

Born in: France
Years: 1969-.. (age 56)
Occupations: science fiction writer
Biography: Alain Damasio is a French writer of sci-fi and fantasy. He also works as a scriptwriter for comics, radio fictions, movie and TV series. He is also notable as an audio and spoken word artist.

Charles de Courson

Born in: France
Years: 1952-.. (age 73)
Occupations: politicianpensioneranciens cadres
Biography: Charles Amédée Simon du Buisson de Courson is a French politician who has represented the 5th constituency of the Marne department in the National Assembly since 1993. A member of The Centrists (LC), he sits with the Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories (LIOT) group. He has been rapporteur of the state budget in the National Assembly since 2024.

Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux

Born in: France
Years: 1962-.. (age 63)
Occupations: entrepreneur
Biography: Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux is a French businessman. He founded The Phone House in 1996 and Omea Telecom in 2004, and launched Virgin Mobile France in 2006. From 2008 to 2010, he served as president of UNEDIC. From 2018 to 2023, he served as president of the Mouvement des Entreprises de France.

François Rollin

Born in: France
Years: 1953-.. (age 72)
Occupations: journalistactorcomediantelevision actorscreenwriter
Biography: François Rollin is a French actor, comedian, author and screenwriter.

Elisabeth Moreno

Born in: Cape Verde
Years: 1970-.. (age 55)
Enrolled in ESSEC Business School Paris: Studied in 2005-2007
Occupations: business executivepoliticiananciens cadres
Biography: Élisabeth Moreno is a French-Cape Verdean businesswoman and politician who served as Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities at the Prime Minister's Office in the government of Prime Minister Jean Castex from 2020 to 2022.

Mo Gawdat

Years: 1967-.. (age 58)
Occupations: managerlife coachwriterbusinesspersonentrepreneur
Biography: Mohammad "Mo" Gawdat is an Egyptian entrepreneur and author. He previously served as chief business officer for Google X and is the author of the books Solve for Happy and Scary Smart.

Constance Debré

Born in: France
Years: 1972-.. (age 53)
Occupations: writernovelistlawyer
Biography: Constance Debré, born in 1972, is a French lawyer and novelist.

Guillaume Kasbarian

Born in: France
Years: 1987-.. (age 38)
Occupations: corporate administrative and commercial executivepoliticianconsultant
Biography: Guillaume Kasbarian is a French business consultant and politician of Renaissance (RE, formerly La République En Marche!) who has been representing the 1st constituency of the Eure-et-Loir department in the National Assembly from 2017 to 2024 and again from 2025.

Laurent Jacobelli

Born in: France
Years: 1969-.. (age 56)
Enrolled in ESSEC Business School Paris: Studied in 1989-1992
Occupations: politicianaudiovisual directorspokesperson
Biography: Laurent Jacobelli is a French politician. In 2022, he was elected member of the National Assembly as a member of the National Rally for Moselle's 8th constituency.

Geoffroy Didier

Born in: France
Years: 1976-.. (age 49)
Occupations: politicianprofessions libérales et assimiléslawyer
Biography: Geoffroy Didier is a French lawyer and politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from December 2017 to July 2024. A member of The Republicans (LR), he has also held a seat in the Regional Council of Île-de-France since 2010.

Richard Dacoury

Born in: Ivory Coast
Years: 1959-.. (age 66)
Occupations: basketball player
Biography: Richard Dacoury is a former French professional basketball player. He retired in 1998, as the basketball player who won the most French League titles during his career, with 9. Dacoury is considered to be one the greatest players in French basketball history. He had his jersey number 7 retired by Limoges, in October 2010.

Gilles Pélisson

Born in: France
Years: 1957-.. (age 68)
Enrolled in ESSEC Business School Paris: Studied in 1976-1979
Occupations: businesspersonbusiness executive
Biography: Gilles Pélisson is a French business executive.

Abdelatif Benazzi

Born in: Morocco
Years: 1968-.. (age 57)
Occupations: rugby union player
Biography: Abdelatif Benazzi is a French-Moroccan rugby union player who represented both Morocco and France. He played as a lock or back row forward.

Éva Sas

Born in: France
Years: 1970-.. (age 55)
Occupations: miscellaneous persons without work under 60 excluding retireespoliticiancorporate administrative and commercial executive
Biography: Éva Sas is a French politician from Europe Ecology – The Greens. She was a Member of Parliament from 2012 to 2017, and has been again since 2022.

Jérôme Chartier

Born in: France
Years: 1966-.. (age 59)
Occupations: business executivepoliticianconsultant
Biography: Jérôme Chartier is a French politician who represented the 7th constituency of the Val-d'Oise department in the National Assembly from 2002 to 2017. A member of The Republicans and its predecessor parties, he also served as Mayor of Domont from 1995 to 2016.

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne

Born in: France
Years: 1977-.. (age 48)
Occupations: politiciantop official
Biography: Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne is a French politician of La République En Marche! (LREM) who served as Secretary of State at the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs in the governments of successive Prime Ministers Édouard Philippe and Jean Castex from 2019 to 2022.

Christophe Jakubyszyn

Born in: France
Years: 1967-.. (age 58)
Enrolled in ESSEC Business School Paris: 1988-1990 graduated with Master of Business Administration
Occupations: journalistradio personality
Biography: Christophe Jakubyszyn is a French journalist. He is the editorialist for the 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. of TF1 and political columnist for the LCI morning show, he joined the NextRadioTV group in September 2019 to head the Good Morning Business program on the BFM Business channel and RMC Story.

Pascal Gentil

Born in: France
Years: 1973-.. (age 52)
Occupations: actortaekwondo athleteintermediate administrative professions of the public service
Biography: Pascal Gentil is a French taekwondo practitioner. A three-time winner of the European Championships, four-time World Cup Champion and Olympic bronze medallist at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Pascal Gentil is the most decorated taekwondo practitioner in French taekwondo history. The S Class International Olympic Referee Dr. Mohamed Riad Ibrahim was the Referee in the Final Match of Pascal Gentil in the 2004 Summer Olympic in Athens, and in this Match Pascal Gentil Won the bronze medal.

Ricardo Amorim

Years: 1971-.. (age 54)
Occupations: journalisteconomist
Biography: Ricardo Amorim is a Brazilian economist. He was described as "Brazil's "most influential economist" by Forbes magazine.

Pierre-André de Chalendar

Born in: France
Years: 1958-.. (age 67)
Occupations: businesspersonbusiness executive
Biography: Pierre-André de Chalendar is a French businessman. He is chairman and CEO of Saint-Gobain since 3 June 2010, and CEO since June 2007.

Patrick Weil

Born in: France
Years: 1956-.. (age 69)
Occupations: political scientistwriterhistorianresearcher
Biography: Patrick Weil is a political scientist. He is a senior research fellow at CNRS, at the Centre for the social history of the 20th century at the University of Paris 1. His research focuses on comparative citizenship, immigration law and constitutional law.

Christophe Deloire

Born in: France
Years: 1971-2024 (aged 53)
Occupations: journalistpublisher
Biography: Christophe Deloire was a French non-governmental organization leader, author, and publisher.

Nicolas Hieronimus

Born in: France
Years: 1964-.. (age 61)
Occupations: business executive
Biography: Nicolas Hieronimus, is a French businessman, and the CEO of the L’Oréal Group since May 1, 2021, the sixth CEO in the history of the group, taking the place of Jean-Paul Agon, who remains the chairman of the group.

Pierre Bédier

Born in: France
Years: 1957-.. (age 68)
Occupations: politicianbusiness executive
Biography: Pierre Bédier is a former member of the National Assembly of France. He represented the Yvelines department. Since 2014, he is President of the Departmental Council of Yvelines.

Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux

Born in: France
Years: 1978-.. (age 47)
Occupations: businessperson
Biography: Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux is an American entrepreneur and business executive. She is the founder and managing partner of Global Space Ventures, a venture capital firm, serves on the United States Department of Defense Defense Science Board, and was the president and chief operating officer of Escape Dynamics.

Camille Pin

Born in: France
Years: 1981-.. (age 44)
Occupations: tennis player
Biography: Camille Pin is a French former professional tennis player.

Charles Konan Banny

Born in: Ivory Coast
Years: 1942-2021 (aged 79)
Occupations: politicianeconomist
Biography: Charles Konan Banny was an Ivorian politician, who served as prime minister from 7 December 2005 until 4 April 2007.

Antoine Dénériaz

Born in: France
Years: 1976-.. (age 49)
Occupations: alpine skiercross-country skier
Biography: Antoine Dénériaz is a retired French World Cup alpine ski racer. He specialized in the speed events of downhill and super-G and is an Olympic gold medalist.

Pacôme Rupin

Born in: France
Years: 1985-.. (age 40)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Pacôme Rupin is a French politician who served as a member of the National Assembly from 2017 to 2022, representing the 7th constituency of Paris. A member of La République En Marche! (LREM), his constituency covers the 4th arrondissement, as well as parts of the 11th and 12th arrondissements.

Enrique Barón Crespo

Born in: Spain
Years: 1944-.. (age 81)
Occupations: politicianeconomistlawyer
Biography: Enrique Barόn Crespo is a Spanish politician, economist, and lawyer. He is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and was a member of the European Parliament for the Party of European Socialists group until 2009.

Thierry Peugeot

Born in: France
Years: 1956-.. (age 69)
Occupations: entrepreneur
Biography: Thierry Peugeot is a French heir and business executive.

Édouard Courtial

Born in: France
Years: 1973-.. (age 52)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Édouard Courtial is a French politician of The Republicans who currently serves as a member of the French Senate, representing the Oise department.

Julien Bargeton

Born in: France
Years: 1973-.. (age 52)
Occupations: politiciancadres de la fonction publiqueofficial
Biography: Julien Bargeton is a French politician who has served as a Senator for Paris since 2017. A former member of the Socialist Party (PS), which he left in June 2017 to join La République En Marche! (LREM), he previously served as Deputy Mayor of Paris for Transport (2012–2014) under Bertrand Delanoë and for Finance (2014–2017) under Anne Hidalgo.

Christine Ourmières-Widener

Born in: France
Years: 1964-.. (age 61)
Occupations: engineer
Biography: Christine Jeanne Ourmières-Widener FREng FRAeS is a French businesswoman known for her work in the commercial aviation industry. Currently the chief executive officer of French Bee, she previously served in the role at Flybe, CityJet, and TAP Portugal.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix

Born in: France
Years: 1960-.. (age 65)
Occupations: diplomat
Biography: Jean-Pierre François Renaud Lacroix is a French diplomat who has served as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations since 1 April 2017. Prior to this, he worked at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Director for the United Nations between 2014 and 2017, and before that as France's ambassador to Sweden beginning in 2011.

Frédérique Jossinet

Born in: France
Years: 1975-.. (age 50)
Occupations: judokasports commentator
Biography: Frédérique Jossinet is a French Olympic judoka in the lightest (less than 48 kg) class.

Fiona Lazaar

Born in: France
Years: 1985-.. (age 40)
Occupations: miscellaneous persons without work under 60 excluding retireespolitician
Biography: Fiona Lazaar is a French politician of The New Democrats who was elected to the French National Assembly on 18 June 2017 as a member of La République En Marche! (LREM), representing Val-d'Oise's 5th constituency. She left LREM and was one of the founding members of The New Democrats in 2020, but returned as an associate of LREM in 2021. She was defeated in the 2022 elections by Paul Vannier of La France Insoumise.

Céline Imart

Born in: France
Years: 1982-.. (age 43)
Occupations: farm operatorpoliticianfinancier
Biography: Céline Imart is a French cereal farmer, trade unionist, and politician of The Republicans (LR) who has been serving as a member of the European Parliament since 2024.

Christian Masset

Born in: France
Years: 1957-.. (age 68)
Occupations: diplomat
Biography: Christian Masset is a French diplomat who served as Ambassador of France to Italy from 2017 to 2023.

Corinne Vigreux

Born in: France
Years: 1964-.. (age 61)
Occupations: entrepreneurmanager
Biography: Corinne Danièle Goddijn-Vigreux, commonly known as Corinne Vigreux, is a French business executive and entrepreneur. She is a co-founder of the Dutch consumer electronics company TomTom where she has been Managing Director of the Consumer Business Unit since 2008.

François de Nicolay

Born in: France
Years: 1919-1963 (aged 44)
Occupations: farmerpolitician
Biography: Count François de Nicolay was a member of the House of Nicolay in France who was a farm manager, arboriculturist, and a politician who was elected to the Senate of France.

Clara Chappaz

Born in: France
Years: 1989-.. (age 36)
Occupations: company directorpolitician
Biography: Clara Chappaz is a French businesswoman and politician who has been serving as Minister Delegate for artificial intelligence and digital technologies in the government of Michel Barnier and the government of François Bayrou since 2024.

Édouard Brasey

Born in: France
Years: 1954-.. (age 71)
Occupations: writerjournalistscreenwriter
Biography: Édouard Brasey is a French novelist, essayist, scriptwriter and story-teller born on 25 March 1954. Author of more than seventy works, many of which have been translated into English, Russian, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. He specialises in the themes of the esoteric, fables, legends and fantasy. He won a prize of Imaginales in 2006 for La Petite Encyclopédie du Merveilleux, and a prize Merlin in 2009 for his novel La Malédiction de l'Anneau. Subsequently, he has become essentially a novelist, notably published by Calmann-Lévy. His historical-esoteric thriller that was published in 2013, Le Dernier Pape, anticipated the abdication of Benoît XVI.

Thibault Bazin

Born in: France
Years: 1984-.. (age 41)
Occupations: politicianmiddle managementcorporate administrative and commercial executiveanciens cadres
Biography: Thibault Bazin is a French Republican politician who has represented Meurthe-et-Moselle's 4th constituency in the National Assembly since 2017.

Guillaume Rambourg

Born in: Canada
Years: 1971-.. (age 54)
Occupations: manager
Biography: Guillaume Rambourg is a Franco-Canadian asset manager and philanthropist. He is the former Deputy Managing Director at Gartmore Investment Management, a leading firm in the asset management sector. He is also the founder of the Rambourg Foundation, which focuses on promoting education, art, sports, and culture.

Yves Perrier

Born in: France
Years: 1954-.. (age 71)
Occupations: business executive
Biography: Yves Perrier is a French financial manager. He served as chief executive officer (CEO) of Amundi from the creation of the company in 2010 to 2021.

Clémence Boulouque

Born in: France
Years: 1977-.. (age 48)
Occupations: political scientistwriterliterary criticjournalist
Biography: Clémence Boulouque is a French scholar of political science and international relations specializing in Jewish and Israel studies. She is a professor, journalist, novelist, and literary critic. Currently, she serves as the Carl and Bernice Witten Associate Professor of Jewish and Israel Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University in the City of New York.

Jean-Marie Besset

Born in: France
Years: 1959-.. (age 66)
Enrolled in ESSEC Business School Paris: Studied in 1981
Occupations: film directorplaywrightactortelevision actorscreenwriter
Biography: Jean-Marie Besset is a French contemporary playwright, translator and theater director.

Nicole Sanquer

Born in: France
Years: 1972-.. (age 53)
Occupations: professors, scientific professionspolitician
Biography: Nicole Sanquer-Fareata is a French Polynesian politician, and former Cabinet Minister. She was a member of the French National Assembly from 2017 to 2022. Elected as a member of Tapura Huiraatira, she sits in the UDI and Independents group in the French Parliament. In 2020 she formed the A here ia Porinetia party.

Florence Provendier

Born in: France
Years: 1965-.. (age 60)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Florence Provendier is a French politician who was Member of Parliament for Hauts-de-Seine's 10th constituency from 2018 to 2022.

Guila Clara Kessous

Years: 1978-.. (age 47)
Enrolled in ESSEC Business School Paris: Graduated with Master of Business Administration
Occupations: directoractor
Biography: Guila Clara Kessous is a French human rights artist and academic. She was nominated UNESCO Artist for Peace for her dedication in the arts and human rights and Knight of Arts & Letters by the French Ministry of Culture for her work on the influence of French culture overseas.

Hélène Pelosse

Born in: Canada
Years: 1970-.. (age 55)
Occupations: official
Biography: Hélène Pelosse was the first elected Interim Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). She served in this position for 15 months, from 30 June 2009 until 19 October 2010.

Marc-Olivier Strauss-Kahn

Born in: Morocco
Years: 1954-.. (age 71)
Occupations: bankereconomist
Biography: Marc-Olivier Strauss-Kahn is a French central banker and international economist whose career began at the French central bank, Banque de France (BDF), in 1978. He has twice been the Chief Economist of the French central bank. In 2017, Governor of Banque de France François Villeroy de Galhau named him Director General, Governor's Special Advisor.

Guy Delcourt

Born in: France
Years: 1958-.. (age 67)
Occupations: comics editorpublisher
Biography: Guy Delcourt is a French editor, founder of the Delcourt publishing house in 1986. It has since grown into one of the largest publishers of comics in France.

Arsenio Lope Huerta

Born in: Spain
Years: 1943-2021 (aged 78)
Occupations: politicianwritereconomistlawyer
Biography: Arsenio Lope Huerta was a Spanish writer and politician.

Louise Morel

Born in: France
Years: 1995-.. (age 30)
Occupations: legislative assistantpoliticiananciens cadrescorporate administrative and commercial executive
Biography: Louise Morel is a French politician. A member of Democratic Movement, Morel was elected a Member of the National Assembly for the Bas-Rhin's sixth constituency in the 2022 French legislative election.

Éric Bucquet

Born in: France
Years: 1962-.. (age 63)
Enrolled in ESSEC Business School Paris: Studied in 1996-1999
Occupations: military officer
Biography: Éric Bucquet is a French Military Officer. Lieutenant general, he was Director of Defense Intelligence and Security from 2018 to 2022.

Philippe Joubert

Born in: France
Years: 1954-.. (age 71)
Occupations: business executive
Biography: Philippe Joubert, is a French Brazilian business executive.

Chris Rynning

Born in: Norway
Years: 1967-.. (age 58)
Occupations: economist
Biography: Chris Rynning is an author, entrepreneur, and financial commentator.

Baron Rodolphe Hottinguer

Years: 1902-1985 (aged 83)
Occupations: banker
Biography: Baron Rodolphe Hottinguer was the fifth Baron of Hottinguer.

Jerome Tafani

Born in: France
Years: 1958-.. (age 67)
Occupations: businesspersonchief financial officer
Biography: Jérôme Tafani is a French financier and CEO of Burger King Restauration, a group managing Burger King restaurants in France.