Speakers

A former advisor on infrastructure and urban planning to the Dutch government, Ton Venhoeven founded his design and architecture practice in 1995. Prior to this he was a professor of architectural history at Eindhoven University of Technology, where his research focused on the pedestrian city of tomorrow. His latest focus is on biodiversity and nature-inclusive design.

A graduate of the École Supérieure de Commerce in Bordeaux and Harvard Business School, Pavlovsky began his career at Deloitte before joining Chanel in 1990. He is president of Chanel’s Fashion and of Chanel SAS. He is also president of le19M, Eres, the Comité Colbert’s Advocacy and Public Policy Commission and the Institut Français de la Mode’s foundation. Pavlovsky is a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour.

Ghotmeh’s projects are created in symbiosis with nature following a historical and materially sensitive approach. Notable projects include the Estonian National Museum, the Ateliers Hermès in Normandy, and the Stone Garden tower in Beirut. Ghotmeh is 2021 Louis I Khan visiting professor at Yale School of Architecture and 2021-22 Gehry Chair at the University of Toronto.

As an internationally acclaimed landscape architect, Gustafson is renowned for creating distinctive sculptural landscapes which engage at a fundamental human level. Her award-winning work at Gustafson Porter & Bowman includes the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, Old Market Square in Nottingham, the Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam and Site Tour Eiffel in Paris, among others.

Having cut his teeth in Japan, Paris and London, Touhami created cosmetics store Parfumerie Générale. In 2014 he opened Officine Universelle Buly in Paris, bringing an old perfumery brand back to life. He also founded art-direction agency, Art Recherche Industrie, which works in photography, architecture and graphic design.

Martin-Kessler is the founder of ‘Live Magazine’, a journalism show that has been staged in 18 European cities so far. It has produced special editions with the Financial Times, Le Monde, Le Temps and Les Echos, as well as book publishers and major festivals. Martin-Kessler sits on the board of the French Journalism School.

A laureate of the Prince Claus Fund award, Effendi is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Cultural Leaders network. Her work has been exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum, İstanbul Modern, the Venice Biennale and New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and has appeared in National Geographic, Monocle, The New Yorker, Time and many other publications.

Anholt has advised the governments of more than 60 nations to help them improve their engagement with the international community. In 2014 he launched the Good Country Index (GCI), which measures the contributions of 163 countries to the rest of humanity. His speech launching the first edition of the GCI is the most viewed Ted talk about government.

Before joining Station F, Varza led Microsoft Ventures Paris and TechCrunch France. She also worked for several London-based start-ups and co-founded StartHer, Tech.eu and FailCon France. Varza is also a scout for US venture capital firm Sequoia Capital.

After meeting Karl Fournier at the Beaux-Arts school of Architecture in Paris, Olivier Marty co-founded their studio in 2000, applying a global, immersive approach to everything they do, from architecture and interior design to furniture design. At the heart of their approach is a belief in freedom without compromise and the need for unique narratives.

Christine Ockrent is a journalist and writer based in Paris who writes regularly on French, European and international issues for various publications. She anchors a weekly radio programme on France Culture and has published 16 books and essays. Previously she was also editor in chief of weekly news magazine ‘L’Express’.

Nelson first gained recognition working in some of the world’s most troubled areas. Today he is known for long-term projects exploring modern society. Published internationally in magazines and the author of three books (‘Gun Nation’, ‘Love Me’ and ‘A Portrait of Hackney’), Nelson has been exhibited at Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A and more.

Déborah Neuberg runs De Bonne Facture, a sustainable luxury menswear line that brings together French modern essentials with natural fabrics and the craftsmanship of hand-picked regional ateliers in Europe. She has just opened her first shop on Rue Sedaine in Paris’s Village Popincourt.

After studying design and stints as a writer and TV chef, Mouzawak invited farmers to showcase their produce at a garden show. This became a formal project; Souk El Tayeb opened in 2004. Mouzawak launched his first Tawlet restaurant in 2009, which now employs dozens of women and celebrates Lebanese cuisine. Its first international outpost opened in Paris in January.

In 2018, Canadian executive Smith became the first non-French CEO of Air France-KLM. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, he had previously spent 16 years at Air Canada, where he became chief operating officer in 2014 and led its successful commercial strategy. Smith continues to aim high, whether steering Air France out of pandemic-related turbulence or introducing more environmentally friendly aircraft.

Audebert manages Chanel’s properties Châteaux Rauzan-Ségla, Canon, Berliquet and Domaine de l’Ile. The winemaker, who first made his mark at Krug’s Clos du Mesnil and then at Cheval des Andes in Argentina, puts the Bordeaux vineyards back in the spotlight after years of hard work and investment. He is also determined to produce consistently excellent wines over the long term in Bordeaux and Porquerolles.

With a background in fashion and a master’s degree in the decorative arts, American-in-Paris Ajiri Aki created linen and antique boutique Madame de la Maison in 2018. Her mission is to encourage us to gather around the table and celebrate life with beautiful things whenever possible. Her forthcoming book is ‘JOIE: A Parisian’s Guide to Celebrating the Good Life’.

Dreyfus is CEO of Group Le Monde, the leading independent French media group. He began his career in New York where he worked for Hachette Filipacchi before moving to Marseille as CFO of ‘La Provence’, the local daily newspaper. He then moved to Paris where he was CEO at ‘Libération’ and then of ‘le Nouvel Observateur’.

Tanguy built his first website at 13 and launched his ride-sharing start-up Djump when he was just 23 and still studying software engineering. Tanguy is passionate about the future of mobility and eager to carry out his vision as co-founder of Cowboy, an electric bike brand for urban riders.

Educated in Paris and London, Agnès C Poirier is an award-winning journalist, writer and broadcaster. As a journalist, she has spent the past 20 years explaining France and the French to an international audience, and Britain and the British to a European public. She is the UK editor of French weekly L’Express and has written six books.

After studying economics, Sébastien Kopp and Ghislain Morillion visited a factory in China and discovered the grim reality of globalisation. At the same time they learnt about fair trade and sustainable economy. Back in France, they decided to create a meaningful product. They founded Veja in 2004 – their trainers are made by mixing social projects, economic justice and ecological materials.

Tom is a broadcast and print journalist, experienced in presenting live TV and radio programmes. He is Monocle’s Paris correspondent and also anchors the evening news on France24. He previously worked at CNN International and has also worked with the BBC World Service, Fox and NBC. He speaks fluent French, Italian and Japanese.