Senior Leadership

Danièle is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique and an Engineer of the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées. Danièle is also major of her classmate at the Ecole Normale Supérieure.

Danièle Bessis started her career in 1988 in the French Ministry of Industry as adviser to Roger Fauroux where she participated in transformational projects.

After heading the M&A activities at Pechiney from 1989 to 1990, Danièle began a ten-year investment banking career at BNP where she headed its Project Finance department in London and then the Foreign Exchange and Interest Rates activities of the bank.

From 2000, she pursued her career in the insurance sector (AGF, Gras & Savoye and April). From 2007 to 2017, she had various senior position in different group (Chairman of Safig Group, CEO of Resources Worldwide affiliated to Publicis Group, Executive Director Bank-Insurance at Steria Sopra, and Deputy MD at JP Colona, a leading French insurance broking group).

Pierre-Jean Bozo is a Certified Public Accountant, graduated from ESC Business School, and holds a Master in Economics and Tax.

Pierre Jean is an expert in the media sector.

Pierre-Jean started his career at AC Nielsen and Peat Marwick. He Then he spent a long part of his career in the media sector at senior level position (CEO of the daily papers Union and Paris Normandie, CEO of Liberation Group, Executive Officer of the Socpresse Group, CEO of the NRJ Group, Chairman and Head of Publication of 20 Minutes). In 2014 Pierre-Jean becomes Managing Director of the UDA (Union des Annonceurs).

Pierre-Jean is also a member of the IPJ’s Board (Institut Pratique de Journalisme), a Board Director of the French University Paris-Dauphine since 2009 and a member of the Medef-Paris Board.

Jean-Paul Brayer is graduated from the ESCP Business School

Jean-Paul has an outstanding track record amongst the world leading consumer good groups such as Colgate-Palmolive (France and New York), Heineken France (Head of Sales and Marketing), Mazda/Wonder Battery Group (CEO).

Then, Jean-Paul specialized in the food sector as CEO of William Saurin and Perrier, CEO of the group Flo (Bistro Romain, Hippopotamus….), and CEO of Quick and then President of the Financière Quick.

Jean-Paul is Director of SNARR (Syndicat National de la Restauration Rapide), and is a member of the “Groupement des Professions de Service” of Medef.

Michel Demont graduated from HEC Business School.

Michel has a long-standing experience in the consulting industry

He started his career in 1972 at the logistic group Mory before becoming member of the Executive Committee of a subsidiary of the Compagnie Générale des Eaux, in charge of IT systems and water management.

In 1984, Michel began a long career in consulting at Peat Marwick (Senior Manager and then Partner in charge of the financial sector (from 1987 to 1998). He also sat on KPMG Peat Marwick Consultants’ Board of Directors and was President of KPMG Corporate Finance. Michel also co-organized the sale of KPMG Peat Marwick to CSC Inc and became Vice-President of the new entity from 1998 to 2001.

In 2002, Michel founded Aurinvest, a Private Equity Fund dedicated to Venture Capital.

Michel is a member of the Association Internationale des Bibliophiles and founder and President of the website www.rarebooks.info.

Olivier spent most of his career in the transport & logistics industry including 26 years at Deutsche Post Group.

He held various transport & logistics positions at Danzas France, including CEO of Danzas Fashion. Then he has been the CEO of Ducros Euro-Express France and became CEO of DHL France where he successfully managed the merger of Deutsche Post subsidiaries in France.

After this experience, Olivier has been appointed CEO of Geopost America (La Poste Group), based in Miami, where he managed US subsidiaries and was in charge of project developments in Latin America.

From 2010 to 2012, Olivier was the Chairman of Barnes Distribution Europe, subsidiary of Barnes Group Inc. (listed on NYSE), a Switzerland based company operating in the field of industrial maintenance which was experiencing financial difficulties. Olivier successfully turned around the company and sold it to Group Berner.

From 2013 to 2016, Olivier was Chairman of the Board of Directors of SNCM and successfully managed the restructuring and disposal of the company.

He then joined Wagram’s Strategic Committee to bring his knowledge and experience of the transport and logistics industry as well as his experience of turnaround situations.

Olivier holds a master’s degree in International Law from Paris X university (78), a master’s degree in International Business from Paris XI Dauphine university (79) and graduated from Ecole Supérieure des Transports (EST), Science Po Paris and IFA (French Independent Board Director Institute).

Jean-Paul Giraud graduated from the Ecole Centrale de Lille and attended the Stanford Executive Program.

During his career, Jean-Paul Giraud has led the growth and development of important retail distribution companies.

Jean-Paul began his career as economist engineer for the French Ministry of environment and equipment (1969-1973).

He then moved to the general retail sector at SEGECE (1973-1977), Auchan (1977-1985Head of Development, President of its American subsidiary Food Field), Cora-Révillon (1986-1995 CEO). Then Jean-Paul entered in the specialized distribution sector at FNAC (1995-2000 CEO and Chairman of the Board) and at GO Sport (President). Jean-Paul is now President of Salbia, a consulting company focused on retail that he created.

He is also a member of the Board of the Banque Transatlantique, Grandvision and Game.

Jean-Claude Karpeles holds an Engineering degree from ESIEE, an MBA from EDHEC and a Master in Economics.

Jean-Claude has exercised numerous parastatal and business organization senior position in the electrical industry such as Executive Officer of Gimelec, Executive officer of FIEEC, Supervisor of different organizations for the promotion of the French Foreign Trade, Director to the European Commission in Brussels.

Jean-Claude is an elected Member of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Paris as President of the European Mission. and Member of the Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Ile de France (greater Paris) as President of the Commission for the Economic Development.

Jean-Claude was lecturing at HEC, ISA and the European Business School. He is Commandeur of Ordre National du Mérite and Officier of Légion d’Honneur.

John graduated from University of Bristol in aeronautical engineering (B.eng.Aeronautical) and ESSEC French Business School.

From 1995 to 2000, John worked at Flemings Corporate Finance both in Paris and then Madrid focusing on cross-border M&A transactions.

From 2000 to 2006 he was a VP Corporate Finance at BNP Paribas in Madrid where he worked on M&A and Capital Market transaction for large groups whether Spanish or international.

From 2007 to 2012, John was also responsible for animating the international network Midcap Alliance (renamed Advior) to which Wagram Corporate Finance belongs.

John has a strong expertise in the sectors of financial services, building material and contracting and utilities and mostly on cross-border transactions.

Jacques Monnet is an engineer from Ecole Centrale of Lyon (74) and has a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Teschnische Universität of Darmstadt (Germany).

Jacques has over 35 years of experience in the automotive industry. From 2000 and for 10 years he was CEO of the FIEV (French confederation of industrial automotive parts suppliers regrouping 16 of the top 20 world suppliers).

Jacques spent 20 years, at Valéo, heading various managerial positions in the USA up to General Manager of Valeo Acustar Thermal Systems (a 50/50 JV with Chrysler) and President and General Manager of Valeo Climate Control Corp. In 1995, he then became the head of TRW Automobile France with responsibility across all TRW Automotive Product Lines.

He is CEO of BM Consult since 2011, a consulting firm dedicated to Corporate strategy and governance matters. In parallel, Jacques is Consul of the French Commerce Exterieur Board between 1987 and 2011.

Georges Sampeur has a diploma in business administration,

Over the years he became an expert in the leisure and leisure service industries

Georges spent 20 years at Avis, the car rental company, at different positions (Commercial Director France, Head of Marketing Sales, Vice President Marketing Sales EMEA) and then became Rent A Car’s CEO.

Georges moved to the hospitality sector. He was appointed France’s Chairman and EMEA’s Vice-President of the travel group Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Since 2003, Georges is CEO and Chairman of the B&B Hôtels Group, a leading European budget hotel chain currently under its fourth LBO (PAI backed)

Georges is also a member of the regional Club “Investir en Finistère” and sits on the board of the “Football Club de Lorient”.

Philippe Vassor graduated from the ESCP in 1975, and is certified public accountant and auditor.

In a thirty-years-long career at Deloitte, Philippe Vassor has lived through every evolution of the auditing, financial services and consulting sector.

In 1975, when he joined Deloitte as auditor, the company had in France around ten people. Philippe became associate in 1981, and when he left the company in 2005, after being appointed Chairman between 2000 and 2004, Deloitte France (5 000 employees), had become a central member of the “big 4” (120 000 people in the world in 140 countries).

Philippe’s auditing career led him to become President of Deloitte’s International Banking Committee, Partner in charge of auditing activity in France, head of the Human Resources in France and member of Deloitte International’s Executive Group between 2000 and 2004. Philippe managed the integration in Spain and Portugal of the ex-Arthur Andersen’s teams.

Philippe has been an independent member of the board of Groupama, Infovista, and Arkéma.

Isabelle Veil graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Franco-American Management Institute (Paris).

Isabelle is engaged in high growth and venture capital businesses. She started her career as a financial M&A analyst at Lazard Frères in New York and Milan. She was one of the co-founders of Vitaminic, pioneering the online music distribution, where she headed the French subsidiary for 3 years.

From 2004 to 2009, she advised different companies for the development of their business in France (both Business and Corporate Development) in particular in the field of Energy, Luxury Goods & New Technology. In 2006 creating IV Development, she worked on fundraising and M&A cross-border transactions in the Media Sector and supported Dpixel, an Italian funds dedicated to MediaTech, to strengthen co-investments and dealflow in France.

She is a board member of EuropeanPWN in Paris, a European association promoting women’s professional progress.