Presentation of the winners of the NEOMA ALUMNI 2019 Trophies

Launched in 2005, the NEOMA Alumni Awards recognize graduates whose success deserves to be highlighted in the eyes of their community. Their selection has always been guided by two values: exemplarity and recognition. Their professional careers must indeed be a reference for graduates, especially the youngest ones, and they must continue to maintain the value of their diploma (press quotations, contributions to the graduates' association, etc.). Among the winners in the professional categories, one of the seven winners will receive the 2019 Management Trophy, awarded following the vote of NEOMA BS graduates and the deliberations of a jury of professionals.

The seven winners in competition for the 2019 Management Trophy

General Management Award

Jean-Baptiste SANTOUL (PGE 92)

President and Chief Executive Officer of Ferrero France

A true specialist in food and non-food consumer products, Jean-Baptiste Santoul, 49 years of age, a graduate of NEOMA Business School (class of 92), began his career in 1994 in the marketing department of Unilever France (Elida Gibbs Fabergé), after a national corporate service with Rail Europe Inc, a subsidiary of SNCF in New York.

Two years later in 1996, he joined Henkel France's Laundry & Home care marketing team and took over responsibility for the Xtra and Le Chat brands. He then became Marketing Director in Tunisia and then International Marketing Director in Germany. In this capacity, he initiated and supported the implementation of the group's first international marketing mix in the laundry detergent segment with a good price/quality ratio.

Back in Tunisia in 2002, he took over the general management of Henkel in Tunisia. For three years, he developed the Henkel Group's business in Tunisia and more broadly in the Maghreb in Algeria and Libya through acquisitions and distribution agreements.  

At the end of 2005, having learnt from this successful experience as a general manager, Jean-Baptiste Santoul joined Henkel Benelux as general manager of the detergents and cleaning products division, an activity that he successfully reorganized and developed. It was at this time that he created the Henkel Innovation Challenge and became passionate about sustainable development.

In 2013, after more than 15 years of expatriation, he returned to France as General Manager of the detergents and cleaning products division. It is in this capacity that he acquired and integrated the Spotless group (Eau Ecarlate, K2r, Catch...).

In 2017, he left Henkel and joined the Ferrero Group to take over the presidency of Ferrero in France. He has since successfully led the integration of Biscuits Delacre and Delichoc, acquired at the end of 2016.

Jean-Baptiste Santoul is also a director and member of the executive committee of several organizations including ANIA, Alliance 7, UDA and ILEC. He is also involved with NEOMA as a sponsor of the PGE 2021 promotion. 

He is married, has two children and is passionate about scuba diving and boating. 

Finance Award

Eric BERLIZON (PGE 95)

Administrative and Financial Director of La Société de la Tour Eiffel

Eric Berlizon, 48 y.o., graduated from NEOMA Business School in 1995.

He began his career in audit and consulting at KPMG. For more than eleven years (from late 1996 to early 2008), he worked as an auditor and acquisition auditor for real estate companies and financial institutions in the New York and Paris offices.

In 2008, Eric Berlizon became the Administrative and Financial Director of Züblin Immobilière France, a real estate company listed on Euronext Paris and a subsidiary of a Swiss group listed on the Zurich Stock Exchange, operating in Switzerland, Germany and France and specializing in investments in high environmental performance office buildings.

Since April 2017, Eric Berlizon has been the administrative and financial director of La Société de la Tour Eiffel, a real estate investment company listed on Euronext Paris (SIIC), whose main shareholder is the mutualist group SMA BTP. He supports La Société de la Tour Eiffel in the implementation of its growth strategy based on long-term investment in commercial buildings, offering leading players solutions for setting up in strong business centers.

Marketing Award

Eve ARAKELIAN (PGE 97)

Marketing Director of Kapten (Chauffeur Privé)

A graduate of NEOMA Business School in international marketing and management as well as Sciences-Po Paris, Eve Arakelian began her career in 1999 in start-ups specializing in the distribution of content and services for mobile phones (Neocom Multimedia then K-mobile) before taking on the role of mobile Internet manager in a Lagardère Group subsidiary. 

In 2006, she decided to join Gameloft as a B2C Manager, then assumed the position of B2C Director based in the United States and finally VP Business Performance until 2016. 

Eve Arakelian then joined the AccorHotels group as VP e-commerce and Digital services to monitor the performance and development of the group's digital platform. 

Since November 2018, she has been the Marketing Director of Kapten, becoming a key figure in the rebranding of Chauffeur Privé and the company's international development.

Human Resources Award

Christine DEHESDIN (PGE 81)

Director of Compensation & Benefits Group - DRHG - ENGIE

Christine DEHESDIN was born in July 1958, a French national and mother of three daughters.

Christine DEHESDIN began her career in 1981 as an auditor at Frinault-Fiducaire, during a period of major changes in legislation on corporate and consolidated financial statements. After obtaining her chartered accountancy diploma, she joined Crédit Lyonnais' Finance Department as Director of Consolidated Accounts and held various other financial positions before taking a different direction. In 1997, she joined the bank's HR department to implement Compensation & Benefits policies to support the recovery from the financial crisis and, once profitability was restored, to better meet employees' expectations. She participated in the revision of the AFB collective agreement in 2000.

In 2002, she joined Gaz de France at the time of its initial public offering (IPO) to manage the offer reserved for employees. She continued her career in the field of Human Resources in positions of expertise, Compensation & Benefits, HRIS... during the various mergers of the group. 

Between 2012 - 2016, she held the position of HR Director of Engie Cofely, an entity with 13,000 employees and nearly €3 billion in revenue.

Currently, Christine DEHESDIN is Director of Compensation & Benefits for the ENGIE Group, the world leader in energy transition, with more than 150,000 employees in 70 countries.

Digital Award

Elise BRUCHET (TEMA 03)

Engagement Project Director

Head of Digital collaboration & communities - FAURECIA

Elise Bruchet, 38 years old, is a French national with three children.

Graduated from NEOMA BS in 2003, TEMA program. For 16 years, she has managed strategic transformation projects for executive committees in an international context.    

She began her career at Devoteam, a major player in consulting in innovative technologies and management for companies.

In 3 years, she became Director of Knowledge Management and led the innovation process.

In 2009, she took over the group management of the Digital Workplace and successfully deployed the first corporate social network to support the group's growth.

In 2012, she was appointed Marketing and Communication Director. Her main mission was to position the firm as a major European player in digital transformation and develop its attractiveness to attract the best talents.

In 2016, she decided to join Faurecia, a French industrial group in the automotive sector, as "Head of digital collaboration & communities".

Since January 2019, she has been appointed "Engagement Project Director" by the Executive Committee. This project aims to increase the understanding and commitment of all employees in the group's transformation project.  Today, Faurecia has 110,000 employees and generates revenue of €17 billion.

Entrepreneurship Award

David RODRIGUEZ (PGE 98)

Cofounder & CEO Corner Job

David Rodriguez is the founder and CEO of Cornerjob. This "mobile first" recruitment platform allows users to find non-managerial geolocated job offers, to apply easily and to get an answer in a few hours. For companies, services can range from the publication of the job offer to the pay slip.

Founded in 2015, Cornerjob raised €50 million and now covers France, Italy, Spain and Mexico. The application has already been downloaded by nearly 12 million people and Cornerjob is used by 350,000 companies. Every day, more than 1,000 people find jobs thanks to Cornerjob.

Before launching Cornerjob, David was the Managing Director of MyTaxi (formerly Hailo, an application that allows you to "hail" a taxi in just a couple of clicks) in the United Kingdom. The company had raised 115 million euros and is now part of the Daimler Group.

A graduate of the PGE NEOMA BS in 1998 with a specialization in new technology management, David began his career in investment banking at JP Morgan in London and New York before quickly joining Eurosport (then TF1 group) in 1999 as head of new media that he deployed throughout Europe. At the end of the 2000s, David created his own startup (Viajillo), specialized in e-travel.

International Award

Bruno DE FERAUDY (PGE 85)

President of Michelin China

Graduated from NEOMA BS in 1985, after a military service in Berlin, Bruno began his career at Michelin in 1986 in sales positions in France.

In October 1990, he became Nigeria's sales manager based in Lagos.

In 1993, he returned to France to take up the position of Sales Director for France. In 1995, he became Sales Director for South America and then Sales and Marketing Director for the passenger vehicle product line for South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

In 1997, he moved to Singapore and became head of the Austral-Asia truck tire business unit (including India).

In May 2001, Bruno left the Michelin Group to take over the general management and then the presidency of an insurance SME. He managed the development of this company for 11 years, carrying out three successive LBOs and tripling the size of the company (€ 105M, 1,300 people).

In 2012, Michelin offered him the opportunity to return to the Group in China. Bruno moved to Shanghai and became head of the Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck business unit.

Since 2015, Bruno has been President of Michelin China.

With nearly 7,000 employees, China now has 3 industrial sites, a research center, a retail network with 1,500 franchisees, headquarters in Shanghai and a red guide activity that contribute to strengthening the brand.

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Out of competition

Passion Award

Aline Crépin (PGE 92)

Director of Public Services and Integration - Randstad Group France

With a Master’s degree from NEOMA BS and a DEA (1-year programme, equivalent to the 1st year of a PhD) from CELSA-Paris Sorbonne, Aline Crépin began her career in assistance before joining the Randstad group in 1998.

After having been Director of Marketing and Communication at Randstad, General Delegate of the Randstad Institute for Equal Opportunities and having created and managed the CSR of the Randstad group for ten years, she is now the Director of the Public Pole and Integration.

Since 2004, she has been committed to diversity and professional equality between women and men and has carried out the work that led her company to obtain the Professional Equality label and the Diversity label.

On an associative basis, Aline is General Secretary of the Equality Laboratory and leader of the ANDRH's National Equality and Diversity Commission. As part of her commitment to ANDRH, she led the work of the AFNOR standards on diversity, participated in the development of the diversity label, co-designed and led the sensitization of French government ministers to W/M equality in 2012 and sits on the Diversity Label Labelling Commission.

Aline is a Knight of the French National Order of Merit.

Most Promising Award

Quentin Le Gall (PGE 18)

Co-founder - Sauce Moutard

Quentin Le Gall was born on 24 October 1995 in Tours. Graduated in 2019 from NEOMA Business School, Rouen Campus. 

He started his first business in 2013 while in preparatory classes at the Lycée Hoche in Versailles and then took a liking for entrepreneurship. He became president of the association Déclic Entreprendre and launched DECLIC Day, the largest student festival dedicated to innovation and business creation (70 companies, 3,000 students present).

He had several experiences in the NUMA acceleration program, then at Accenture Ventures where he met his partner Laura with whom he founded Sauce Moutard in April 2018.

For almost a year now he has been running Sauce Moutard, which offers teleworkers and nomads the opportunity to work or organise their appointments in the most beautiful restaurants and cafés in France while enjoying Wifi and good products at reduced prices.

They joined NEOMA's incubation program and then Station F in July 2018, developed their service in 23 French cities and plan a fundraising campaign in July 2019.