Laurent Choain Chief Leadership, Education & Culture

A graduate in Science and HR management from the Reims Management School and Paris I Sorbonne University, Laurent has led a 4-track career as Senior Executive in several large companies, lecturer in management, a consultant and an entrepreneur.

As Senior Executive, Laurent successively served at Kempinski Hotels & Resorts as VP Education and Development and Special Advisor to the CEO, before joining the Caisse d’Epargne Group as Chief HR Officer. When the Caisse d’Epargne Group merged with the Banque Populaire Group in 2009, he was appointed Sr VP Leadership & Management of BPCE.

On the Education side, from 1991 Laurent worked as a lecturer in Leadership & Organisation Design at Reims Management School, prior to leading the HR and Management Department. In 1997, he was appointed Associate Dean, in charge of the School’s Executive Education until 2005.

Laurent also led a parallel career in consulting, starting in 1990 as a junior “head-hunter” with Daniel Porte Consultants (now known as Hudson), then as Managing Partner of Forward Consulting (1991 – 1997) and ultimately as Special Advisor to several Chairpersons and CEOs between 1997 and 2005.

In 2002, Laurent founded along with the former Club Med CEO Serge Trigano and the former Havas CEO Pierre Dauzier “Moments of Life”, a start-up company that specialised in operating and developing corporate universities, which he co-managed until 2005.

Laurent is the Chairman of the ‘Cercle de la Prospective RH’ (HR Foresight Association), as well as a founding member of the ‘Cercle du Leadership’ (Leadership Development Association) and a member of the editing committee of ‘Personnel’.