 |
Cyril BenoitFrench banker
Country:
 France |
Content:
Biography of Cyril Benoit
Cyril Benoit is an independent French banker specializing in cross-border mergers and acquisitions and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the French Aspen Institute. He was born in Paris in 1974. Benoit studied philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure and graduated from the University of Paris IV Sorbonne. His desire to self-realize in the public relations sector led Benoit to work in the government. Later, his interests shifted towards business and international investments.
Early Career
In 1997, Cyril served as a speechwriter for former Prime Minister Laurent Fabius, then the head of the French National Assembly. He played a key role in the development of Fabius' network, which focused on generating ideas through collective discussions. From 2000 to 2002, Benoit worked in Fabius' office at the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Industry. In addition to this role, he also served as a technical advisor to the Minister of Industry, Christian Pierret. Benoit also worked in Congressman Tom Lantos' office in Washington, D.C., representing California and serving as the Chairman of the Human Rights Caucus.
Government Service
During his time at the French Ministry of Finance in 2002 and 2003, Cyril was assigned to coordinate the French presidency in the G7 and G8 clubs, as well as coordinate the Indian and Mexican presidencies at the G20 forum and the Asia-Europe Meeting. He also contributed to the creation of the State Participation Agency, collaborating with Jean-Pierre Jouyet, the current Chief of Staff of French President François Hollande.
Benoit & Associés
In 2003, Cyril joined forces with Léon Bressler, the CEO of Unibail, and became the manager of special projects for the company. Bressler, a former banker, played a significant role in Benoit's introduction to the world of investments and global business. Benoit played an important role in several notable Unibail deals, including the merger of Unibail and Rodamco.
In 2011, Cyril founded his own independent investment company, Benoit & Associés, after returning from London. The firm focuses on two main areas: corporate finance, particularly cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and public relations. In July 2012, Benoit & Associés organized a partnership between Chinese agri-food giant Bright Food and wine trading company Diva. This deal marked the first agreement between a Chinese state-owned company and a French private company in the small and medium-sized enterprise segment.
Additional Roles
Benoit led the think tank "Vouloir la République" for several years. He is a regular editor for Huffington Post and Les Echos. Cyril is also a founding member of the Franco-Israeli Fund, a non-profit organization initiated by Jacques Chirac and Ariel Sharon. In July 2012, Benoit was appointed to the Advisory Board of the French Aspen Institute. In June 2013, he became the Chairman of the university.
