Russia and France have a history of bilateral relations that goes back centuries. How are economic relations between the two countries evolving, and what are the expectations of the captains of industry on both sides? Can restrictions in trade and finance be mutually lifted, or have the parties adapted to the sanctions? Where are the reserves of our economies hidden? How may a historical friendship be transformed into economic growth and the development of an innovative economy? Are there any opportunities for increasing the mutually beneficial transfer of technology? What are the prospects for bilateral cooperation as part of the digital transformation, and Russian-French cooperation in building the industry of the future and modernizing urban infrastructure? Are Russian and French companies in third-country markets competitors or partners?
Moderator Alexander Shokhin,
President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)
Alexander Shokhin
President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)
Alexander N. Shokhin was born 25 December, 1951. Graduated from the Moscow State University in 1974. Doctor of Economics, Professor. Twice, in 1991-1994 and in 1998, Mr. Shokhin held the post of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. In 1991-1994 he also held positions of Minister of Labor, Minister of Economics, Chairman of the Russian Agency for International Cooperation and Development. From 1994 to 2002 – Deputy of the State Duma, with the posts of First Vice Chairman of the State Duma, leader of the Duma party bloc 'Our Home is Russia', Head of the Duma Committee on Credit Institutions and Capital Markets. Since 1995 - President of the National Research University – Higher School of Economics. From 2002 to 2006 – Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Investment Group "Renaissance Capital". From 2005 to 2009 – member of the RF Public Chamber. Since 2005 – President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Mr. Shokhin is a member of several deliberative bodies under the Russian President and Government. He is also an independent director on the Boards of several companies, including ALROSA, Russian Railways, TMK and others.
Panellists Anatoly Artamonov,
Governor of Kaluga Region Oleg Belozerov,
Chief Executive Officer – Chairman of the Executive Board, Russian Railways Olivier Brandicourt,
Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi Victor Vekselberg,
President, Skolkovo Foundation Pierre Gattaz,
President, Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF) Andrey Guryev,
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, PhosAgro Kirill Dmitriev,
Chief Executive Officer, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Benoit Potier,
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, Air Liquide SA Patrick Pouyanne,
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board, Total Frederic Daniel Sanchez,
Chairman of the Executive Board, Fives SA
Gennadiy Timchenko,
Founder, Main Shareholder, Volga Group Wilhelm Hubner,
Chairman of the Management Board, Auchan Holding SA
Anatoly Artamonov
Governor of Kaluga Region
Born in 1952 in Kaluga Region. After graduating from Moscow Agricultural Production Engineering Institute, worked in agricultural and construction sectors of Kaluga Region economy. In November 1996, he was elected Vice Governor of Kaluga Region. Since 2000 – Governor of Kaluga Region. Anatoly Artamonov is one of the most efficient Russian governors, which is proved by Kaluga Region dynamic development. For a number of years it has been holding leading positions among Russian regions according to various ratings. Anatoly Artamonov holds many awards, including the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit, Republic of Korea; the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; the Commander of the Legion of Honour, France, and others. Doctor, Economics.
Oleg Belozerov
Chief Executive Officer – Chairman of the Executive Board, Russian Railways
Born in 1969. Graduated from St. Petersburg University of Economics and Finance in 1992. 1998–2000 OJSC Lenenergo, Deputy Commercial Director, Commercial Director. 2000–2001 Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District, Head of the Financial and Economic Department. 2001–2002 OJSC LOMO, Deputy Director, Management of Corporate Property. 2002–2004 OJSC Russian Fuel Company, Managing Director. 2004–2009 Federal Road Agency, Deputy Head, Head 2009–2015 Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, Deputy Minister, First Deputy Minister. August 2011 Assigned Class Rank of Active State Advisor of the Russian Federation, 1st Class. August 20, 2015 Appointed President of OJSC Russian Railways. Mr. Belozerov is the chairman of the International Union of Railways (UIC) and co-chairman of the Russia–France Business Cooperation Council. He has been recognized for his services by numerous state and industry awards.
Olivier Brandicourt
Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi
A physician by training, Brandicourt has 28 years of global experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He joined Sanofi in April 2015 after serving as Chief Executive Officer of Bayer Healthcare AG since 2013. In this role, he was responsible for leading the company’s global portfolio across the pharmaceuticals, consumer care, animal health, and medical care businesses. Prior to Bayer Healthcare, Brandicourt worked at Pfizer for 13 years, where he most recently served as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and as President and General Manager of the Emerging Markets and Established Products business units. Over his career at Pfizer, he served in a series of leadership positions, including heading its Global Primary Care business unit from 2009 to 2012 and its Global Specialty Care business unit from 2008 to 2009. He also led its Cardiology business in the US, as well as several regional operations around the world. Brandicourt started his career as a Medical Director for the Region Africa at Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis, where he held other senior positions in medical and marketing before being appointed General Manager of Canada. He also spent eight years with the Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris with a focus on malaria research in West and Central Africa and two years in the Republic of Congo as a doctor. He is a member of the Board of Management of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), as well as a member of the Council of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA). He is also an Honorary Member of the Royal College of Physicians in London and a board member of the Children’s Aid Society in New York. Olivier Brandicourt studied medicine in Paris where he specialized in Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (University of Paris V) and holds an Advanced Degree in Cellular and Immunological Pathophysiology from the Paris Descartes University. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Biology (University of Paris XII).
Victor Vekselberg
President, Skolkovo Foundation
Born in 1957. Graduated with honors from the faculty of automation and computer engineering of the Moscow Railway Transport Engineering Institute (MIIT). In 1990 Viktor Vekselberg founded Renova, an asset management company. Mr. Vekselberg currently holds office as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Renova Group of companies. In 1996 he founded SUAL Group and served as its President until 2003 when he eventually chaired the Board of Directors of the Group. Chairman of the Management Board of OJSC Tumen Oil Company from 2002 until 2003. Member of the Board of Directors of TNK-BP from 2003 until 2013. Chairman of the Board of Directors of United Company Rusal (UC Rusal) from 2007 until March 2012. In March 2010, Viktor Vekselberg was appointed as Head of the Skolkovo Innovation Center project. Viktor Vekselberg has been President of the Skolkovo Foundation since June 2010.
Pierre Gattaz
President, Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF)
Pierre Gattaz was born on 11 September 1959. He graduated in engineering from École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne and holds a Certificate in Administrative Management from George Washington University. He joined Dassault Électronique in 1984 as a business engineer. In 1989, he was appointed Managing Director of Fontaine Electronique. He then held a similar position at Convergie, a subsidiary of the Dynaction Group. In 1992, he joined the management of the family-owned company Radiall, where he currently serves as Chairman of the Board. In 1999, he was elected President of SYCEP association, which then became GIXEL (association for electronic components and systems). In 2002–2007, he chaired FIEN (digital and electronic industries organization). Later, he was elected President of FIEC (federation of electrical, electronic and communication industries). He was a board member of the UIMM (union of the metallurgical industry) from 2007 to 2013. From July 2010 to July 2013, he was President of the GFI (Industrial Federations Group), a member of CNI (National Industry Council) and a founding member of La Fabrique. As head of the MEDEF (elected President on 3 July 2013), Pierre Gattaz’s top priority is to increase employment by providing companies with the conditions to be competitive in a climate of trust. Married and father of four children, Pierre Gattaz is a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur and Officer of the National Order of Merit.
Andrey Guryev
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, PhosAgro
Andrey Guryev was appointed CEO by PhosAgro’s Board of Directors starting 1 August 2013. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as Deputy CEO of OJSC PhosAgro from April 2011. He was also Deputy CEO for Sales and Logistics of PhosAgro AG from October 2011 to June 2013. From June 2013 to August 2013 Mr. Guryev was the COO of PhosAgro AG. Mr. Guryev has worked at PhosAgro since 2004, holding various positions in the finance department and specialising in fertilizer exports. Mr Guryev graduated from The University of Greenwich in London with a BA in economics, and holds a Master’s degree from the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation. He received a PhD in economics from the National Mineral Resources University (University of Mining).
Kirill Dmitriev
Chief Executive Officer, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF)
Prior to becoming CEO of RDIF in 2011, Kirill Dmitriev headed a number of large private equity funds and completed a series of landmark transactions, including the sale of Delta Bank to General Electric, Delta Credit Bank to Société Générale, STS Media to Fidelity Investments, etc. At the beginning of his career he worked at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey & Company. He is Deputy Chairman of the Investment Council under the Chairman of the State Duma of Russia, Vice President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and was appointed by the President of Russia as a member of the BRICS and the APEC business councils; he also was selected as ‘Young Global Leader’ by the World Economic Forum. He serves as a member of the boards of directors of Rostelecom, Gazprombank, MDMG, Russian Railways and a member of the boards of trustees of the Mariinsky Theatre and Moscow State University. In 2011 he was the only Russian representative in the list of ‘100 most influential private equity professionals of the decade’ (Private Equity International). He holds a BA in Economics with Honors and Distinction from Stanford University and an MBA with High Distinction (Baker Scholar) from the Harvard Business School.
Benoit Potier
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, Air Liquide SA
Born in 1957 – French nationality A graduate of CentraleSupélec (Ecole Centrale Paris), Benoît Potier joined Air Liquide in 1981 as a Research and Development engineer. After serving as a Project Manager in the Engineering and Construction Division, he was made Vice-President of Energy Development in the Large Industries business line. In 1993, he became Director of Strategy & Organization and, in 1994, was put in charge of the Chemicals, Metal & Steel, Oil and Energy Markets. He was made an Executive Vice-President of Air Liquide in 1995 with additional responsibilities over the Engineering & Construction Division and the Large Industries operations in Europe. Benoît Potier was appointed Senior Executive Vice-President in 1997. He was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2000 and became Chairman of the Management Board in November 2001. In 2006, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of L’Air Liquide S.A.
Patrick Pouyanne
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board, Total
Born on June 24, 1963. A graduate of École Polytechnique and an Engineer of the French Corps des Mines. From 1989 to 1996, Patrick Pouyanné held various positions in the French Industry Ministry and in ministerial offices, including Environment and Industry Technical Advisor to the Prime Minister from 1993 to 1995 and Chief of Staff to the Information Technology and Space Minister from 1995 to 1996. He joined Total in January 1997, as Chief Administrative Officer of Total E&P Angola and became Group Representative in Qatar and CEO of Total E&P Qatar in 1999. In August 2002, he was named Senior Vice President, Finance, Economics and Information Systems in Exploration & Production. In January 2006, he became Senior Vice President, Strategy, Business Development and R&D in Exploration & Production. Patrick Pouyanné has been a member of Total’s Management Committee since May 2006. In March 2011, he was appointed Senior Vice President, Chemicals and Senior Vice President, Petrochemicals. In January 2012, Patrick Pouyanné was appointed President, Refining & Chemicals and member of the Executive Committee. On October 22, 2014 Patrick Pouyanné was appointed Total Chief Executive Officer and President of the Executive Committee. Since December 2015 he is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Group.
Frederic Daniel Sanchez
Chairman of the Executive Board, Fives SA
Frederic Sanchez was born in 1960 and graduated from HEC Business School, France (1983), as well as Sciences-Po Paris (1985). He holds a Master Degree in Economics from Paris-Dauphine University (1984). He started his career in 1985 with Renault in Mexico, then in the USA. In 1987 he because a Mission Manager at Ernst & Young. In 1990 he joined Fives-Lille group, in which he held various positions before being appointed Chief Financial officer in 1994 and become Chief Executive Officer in 1997. In 2002, the Compagnie de Fives-Lille (renamed Fives in 2007) became a company with a Management and Supervisory Board, chaired by Frederic Sanchez. Under his leadership, Fives accelerated its development by re-organizing into four divisions and strengthening its geographical footprint through major acquisitions and opening of regional offices in Asia, Russia, Latin America and the Middle East. Since 2002, Group sales more than doubled, as well as the number of employees. Positions Held: Within MEDEF (French Business Confederation): • President of MEDEF International • President of the cluster 'Internationalisation & Channels' • President of the Council of Entrepreneurs France-Vietnam, - France Cambodia and France-Burma; - Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Cameron France Holding; - Member of the Supervisory Board of Saur (Hime Group); - Member of the Supervisory Board of STMicroelectronics; - Administrator of Primagaz & Business France; - Honorary co-president of the Alliance Industrie du Futur.
Gennadiy Timchenko
Founder, Main Shareholder, Volga Group
Wilhelm Hubner
Chairman of the Management Board, Auchan Holding SA
Wilhelm HUBNER, a mechanical engineer and graduate of the IAE business school in Lille, joined Auchan France in 1987 as department supervisor for one of its stores in northern France. During his time at Auchan, Wilhelm worked as head of the textile department, head of the checkout department, and director of three different hypermarkets in France before being appointed Director of the Paris Region. In 2010, Wilhelm joined Auchan Russia as head of sales under the traditional hypermarket format, and in 2014 was named General Manager of Auchan Russia. In 2015, Wilhelm was appointed Chief Executive Officer, Auchan Retail. Wilhelm Hubner is 55.
Front row participants Alexander Drozdenko,
Governor of Leningrad Region Dmitry Korobkov,
Chairman of the Board of Directors, ADV Isabelle Kocher,
Chief Executive Officer, Engie Luc Nadal,
Chairman of the Management Board, GEFCO Group Elena Panina,
Deputy in the State Duma of the Russian Federation Frederic Oudea,
President, European Banking Federation; Chief Executive Officer, Société Générale Emmanuel Faber,
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, Danone SA Andrey Filatov,
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Tuloma Investment Company LLC
Alexander Drozdenko
Governor of Leningrad Region
Born on November 1, 1964 in the Dzhambul Region, Kazakhstan, Alexander Drozdenko graduated from Leningrad Agriculture Institute in 1986 with a degree in the economics and organization of agriculture. He obtained a PhD in Economics in 2007. Between 1988 and 2002, he worked in various positions in the Kingisepp District of the Leningrad Region. In November 2002, Alexander Drozdenko was invited to join the Government of the Leningrad Region and appointed as the Region’s Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Leningrad Region Committee on State Property Management. In May 2012, the Legislative Assembly of the Leningrad Region, on the recommendation of the President of the Russian Federation, elected Drozdenko as Governor of the Leningrad Region. He was inaugurated on May 28, 2012. On May 12, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree “On the Early Termination of the Powers of the Governor of the Leningrad Region.” Alexander Drozdenko has been appointed acting Governor of the Leningrad Region. At the pre-term gubernatorial elections in Leningrad Oblast that took place on 13 September 2015 Alexander Drozdenko received the majority of votes. On 30 September 2015 Alexander Drozdenko took office as the Governor.
Dmitry Korobkov
Chairman of the Board of Directors, ADV
Dmitry Korobkov (born 26 January 1969; Moscow) is an angel investor, primarily interested in marketing and advertising technologies (MAdTech), as well as Big Data and AI; his list of investments includes companies, funds and accelerators in Silicon Valley and UK. Founder and Chairman of ADV – marketing communications group representing Havas and Interpublic Group of Companies in Russia. Dmitry is an alumni of Moscow State Institute of International Relations under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a degree in marketing, history and economics. He speaks three languages, among which are English, German and French. In 2007 he opened “ADV – Marketing Communications” academic department in association with MGIMO, where he is still Head of Department. In 2016 he initiated the first MAdTech Contest in Russia “Go to AdTech”. Married, has six children.
Isabelle Kocher
Chief Executive Officer, Engie
Nationality: French. Born December 9, 1966. Education: Isabelle Kocher is a graduate from Ecole Normale Supérieure, she holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Physics. Isabelle Kocher is a graduate from the Corps des Mines Engineering School. Professional career: 2016: Chief Executive Officer of ENGIE. 2014 : Chief Operating Officer of ENGIE. 2011: Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of GDF SUEZ. 2007: Chief Operating Officer of Lyonnaise des Eaux (subsidiary of Suez Environnement) before becoming Managing Director of Lyonnaise des Eaux, as well as Executive Vice President in charge of the development of water activities in Europe within Suez Environnement. 2005: Senior Vice President in charge of Performance and Organization programs of SUEZ. 2002: Strategic and development department of SUEZ.1999: Industrial Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister of France.1997: Manager of the postal and telecommunication budgets, followed by the defense budget at the French Budget Department.1992 : Mergers and acquisitions Department of the Compagnie Financière de Rothschild before becoming Director of the industrial inspection department at the Ile-de-France regional department of industry, research and environment division. 1991-1997: Project Manager for the reorganisation of production workshops within the Société Européenne de Propulsion. Other memberships and offices held: Vice President of Electrabel (Belgique), Director of ENGIE, SUEZ Environnement Company, ENGIE Corporate Foundation(France) and International Power (United Kingdom). Director AXA Group. In 2016 and 2017, Isabelle Kocher ranked as the 3rd « Most Powerfull Woman » in the world, in business category, according to the magazine Fortune.
Luc Nadal
Chairman of the Management Board, GEFCO Group
Luc Nadal graduated from Ecole Polytechnique (X82). He began his career as a consultant with Arthur Andersen & Cie in 1985, before joining MENSIA Conseil, specialised in strategy, management and organization consulting, in 1988. He worked as a senior consultant, then manager, and later became a partner in charge of the infrastructure and transport sector. Luc Nadal joined the SNCF in 2005 as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CNC, which he turned around and transformed into Naviland Cargo. In 2007, he joined the Transport and Logistics branch of the SNCF and was appointed Deputy Operations Director of SNCF Freight. In 2008, the SNCF took over Geodis. Luc Nadal was appointed Deputy Managing Director of the SNCF Geodis branch in charge of the rail transport of goods and Director of Fret SNCF. He joined GEFCO as Freight Transport and Logistics Director in October 2010 and in July 2012, he took up the position of Chief Executive Officer of the GEFCO Group. Since December 2012, Luc Nadal was appointed Chairman of the GEFCO Management Board by the Supervisory Board.
Elena Panina
Deputy in the State Duma of the Russian Federation
Panina Elena Vadimirovna, Deputy of the State Duma, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. In 1970 graduated from Moscow Financial Institute, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Active Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and Member of the Russian Academy of Engineering. Following graduation from the higher educational institution, she worked in the Ministry of Finance of RSFSR. In 1991 – General Director of the Directorate for New Forms of Cooperation of the USSR Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 1992-1997 – General Director of the Centre for International Business Projects. Under her leadership one developed the unique samples of hi-tech equipment and advanced technologies with no equals anywhere in the world. Since 1992 - Head of Moscow Confederation of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (Employers). Vice-President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (Employers). President of the National Research Institute for Economic Strategy (NIIES). Deputy of the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th State Duma of the Russian Federation Federal Assembly. Member of the UNITED RUSSIA All-Russian Political Party. Member of the State Duma Committee for Economic Policy, Innovative Development and Entrepreneurship. Chairlady of the Expert Council for Antitrust, Pricing and Tariff Policy. Author and co-author of 74 federal laws, including basic laws in economic area.
Frederic Oudea
President, European Banking Federation; Chief Executive Officer, Société Générale
Born in 1963. Frédéric Oudéa is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale d'Administration. From 1987 to 1995, Frédéric Oudéa held various positions in the French senior civil service (Audit department of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Budget Ministry, Private Office of the Minister of Budget and Communication). In 1995, he joined Societe Generale and in 1996 he was appointed Deputy Head then Head of the bank’s Corporate Banking arm in London. In 1998, he became Head of Global Supervisory and Development of the Equities division. In May 2002, he was named Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Societe Generale Group. He became Chief Financial Officer of the Group in January 2003. In 2008 he was appointed CEO of the Group, before becoming Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 2009. Following the regulatory split between the roles of chairman and chief executive, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer in May 2015. In 2010 he was named Chairman of the Steering Committee on Regulatory Capital (“SCRC”) at the Institute of International Finance (“IIF”) and President of the European Banking Federation (“EBF”) since January 2015. In September 2015 he was named Chairman of the French Banking Federation (“FBF”).
Emmanuel Faber
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, Danone SA
Born on January 22, 1964 Non-Independent Director Nationality: French Seniority in Danone Group: October 1997 After graduating from HEC, Emmanuel Faber began his career as a consultant at Bain & Company and later Baring Brothers. In 1993, he joined Legris Industries as Chief Administrative and Financial Officer before being named Chief Executive Officer in 1996. Emmanuel Faber joined Danone in 1997 as Head of Finance, Strategies and Information Systems. He became a member of the Executive Committee in 2000. In 2005, while Danone was strengthening its management structure in the Asia-Pacific region, Emmanuel FABER was named Vice-President for the Asia-Pacific region in charge of the Group’s operational activities. Since January 1, 2008, he has been a Deputy General Manager of Danone, responsible for major corporate functions (Finance, Human Resources, etc.). He was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors on April 28, 2011. Since 2008, he has served as Director of the Danone.communities mutual investment fund (SICAV). Since 2009, he has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Danone Ecosystem Fund. And since December 2011, he has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Livelihoods Fund. Since December 1, 2017, he is Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer.
Andrey Filatov
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Tuloma Investment Company LLC
Andrey Filatov is a Russian entrepreneur, public figure and philanthropist. He is a member of the Economic Council of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce (CCIFR). He is Chairman of the Board of Tuloma Investment Company LLC that specialises in investing in assets in Russia. He is a co-owner of Global Ports Investments PLC, the Russia’s biggest container terminal operator, and Globaltrans Investment PLC, a leading freight rail transportation group. He is President of the Russian Chess Federation, Vice-President of the International Chess Federation. Mr. Filatov is founder of the Art Russe Foundation. One of the main objectives of the Fund is popularization of Russian art and Russia’s cultural heritage among international audiences, The Fund's collection comprises of works by different generations of great masters of Russian art, covering the years 1917-1991, and is currently one of the best private collections in the segment. He is the owner of Château La Grace Dieu Des Prieurs, situated in Saint-Emilion, France's leading winemaking region. He is taking an active part in social and philanthropic activities and financing several humanitarian programmes. Mr. Filatov was awarded the medal 300 Years of the Russian Fleet, Certificate of Merit from the President of the Russian Federation, UNESCO’s commemorative medal Five Continents, the Order of the Legion of Honor, and the medal of the Order For Merit to the Fatherland (2nd class).
