Cyril F. Benoit

Cyril Benoit, born in 1974, in Paris, is a French investment and development banker. After reading philosophy at the Ecole Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines and graduating from Paris IV-Sorbonne University, his penchant for public affairs propelled him into the circles of public service until his interests veered to international finance and investment banking.

Career

In 1997, Cyril Benoit, together with Stéphane Israël,^[1] served as speech writer to Former Prime minister Laurent_Fabius, then President of the French Assemblée Nationale, and played a key role in the development of Fabius’ brainstorming network.^[2] From 2000 to 2002, he worked within the private office of Laurent Fabius at the Ministry for Economy, Finance and Industry. In addition to this role, Cyril Benoit served as Deputy Chief of Staff, then Technical Advisor to the Minister of Industry, Christian Pierret.^[3]

Cyril Benoit also worked at the Office of Congressman Tom Lantos in Washington D.C, the California’s Representative and Human Rights Caucus’ Chairman (relabeled Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission after his founder died in 2008). One of his many achievements as a Tom Lantos’ aide was the organization of a joint hearing by the Human Right Caucus and the Black Caucus of Togo’s Premier, Eugène Adoboli, following Amnesty International’s damning report on the human rights situation in Togo.^[4]

During his tenure at the Direction du Trésor (French Treasury Department) in 2002 and 2003, he was entrusted with the organization of the French Presidencies of the G7 and G8, and acted as the lead coordinator for the Indian and Mexican presidencies of the G20 and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Cyril Benoit also contributed to the setting-up of the Agence des Participations de l’Etat (French Government Shareholding Agency), collaborating with Mr. Jean-Pierre Jouyet, currently chairing the French Securities Regulator (AMF)

In 2003, Benoit joined Léon Bressler, UNIBAIL’s CEO, as Special Project Manager. A former banker, Bressler mentored him to make is way into high-profile finance. Cyril Benoit was involved into several high-profile transactions such as the Unibail-Rodamco merger, which founded the leading pan-European real estate listed company.^[5]

Following a number of key positions at Unibail such as Head of Corporate Development, then Chief Investment and Financial Officer of the Shopping Centre Division.^[6] In 2007, Benoit headed to London joining Léon Bressler as Principal, to participate in the developing of Perella Weinberg Real Estate, a 1, 2bn Euro real estate private equity fund.

Commitment and ideas

Cyril Benoit founded and ran for several years Vouloir la République, a think–thank which Fondation Saint-Simon praised, in reviewing the commitment to politics of young people in their 30s, as ‘’the think–tank most intent on the necessity of achieving the in-depth insight advocated by many of its members.’’^[7]

In 1999 Vouloir la République penned a blue print for an European Constitution^[8] and opposed the enlargement.^[9] In 2000, Cyril Benoit presented the Socialist Party Congress in Grenoble with a contribution titled Socialism, New Generation. He wrote: “Our oldest members vouch for the fact that socialism was always the party of the movement, including on itself….We must not let the Party get bored with himself. Boredom generates blind conformity, aligned compliance, paralyses consideration, hinders reform, jeopardizes political future.’’^[10]

In 2003, with Jean-Baptiste de Foucault and Bernard Kouchner notably, he launched ‘’Interclubs’’^[11] calling for a broad overhaul of the Left.^[12] Vouloir la République would also host dinner-and-debate receptions, with high-profile guest-speakers in the chair. The dinner of the 30 was scheduled once a month at the Bistrot de Paris, rue de Lille. Luc Ferry, Laurent Fabius, Nicolas Sarkozy, Alassane Ouattara, Hubert Védrine, Eli Barnavi, Alain Renault, Pierre Bellon, Philippe Douste-Blazy, Alain Bauer and Jack Lang were amongst its blue-chip speakers.

Cyril Benoit is also a founding member and Board member of the France-Israël Foundation, an official recognized non-profit organization initiated by Jacques Chirac and Ariel Sharon.^[13][14]

Current activity

Cyril Benoit is the founding President of Benoit & Associés, an independent advisory firm he created upon his return from London in 2011.^[15] Benoit & Associés focuses on two main fields of expertise: financial advisory and public affairs. Its public affaires’ strategic committee includes Maître Jean-Paul Benoit, Marcel Kodjo and Diane Binder amongst others.

Jean-Paul Benoit is an Honorary Member of the European Parliament and a lawyer at the Paris Bar. As a high civil servant, he pursued a high-profile career in the French Administration, in particular at the Ministries of Cooperation, Industry, Foreign Trade and Home Office. He is a specialist on African affairs.Recently, in a documentary film shot by Emmanuel Blanchard and aired on Planète channel, he commentated Bokassa’s coronation.^[16] He penned two books: Indispensable Afrique^[17] and Indispensable Europe. Jean-Paul Benoit graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris and in law from the Assas University. He is Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.

As attorney-in-law to Alassane Ouattara, he called, on April 10, 2011, with Jean-Pierre Mignard, The impartial forces from UNOCI, with support of the French Licorne troops, to eliminate with no further delay the heavy weapons, neutralize the militiamen on Gbagbo’s payroll who constitute an illegal occupation force, and bring to justice the defeated candidate.^[18] The day after, Ivory Coast Republican Forces (ICRF) arrested Laurent Gbagbo.

Marcel Kodjo^[19] is the CEO of K2M international, a financial advisory firm based in Abidjan. He is also advisor to Jacques Attali, CEO of PlaNet Finance group.

He is the administrator of many financial institutions in West Africa. Marcel Kodjo spent most of his professional career at the Central Bank of West African States (CBWAS) of which he was the Secretary General from 1990 to 1993. From 1993 to 1998, he was Secretary General of the WAMU banking commission (West African Monetary Union). In charged of the IBWA – IC privatization (International Bank for West Africa- Ivory Coast), Marcel Kodjo is the Chairman of his audit committee. He was also Managing Director of Air Afrique (2000–2001). Marcel Kodjo graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration.

Diane Binder is Senior Advisor of Benoit & Associés in charge of emerging markets issues. Diane Binder has worked in a variety of public and private sector environments, from entrepreneurial ventures to international organizations, including Caisse de Dépôts, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Investment Bank. She has developed an expertise in the water sector of developing countries, more specifically in institutional analysis, regulatory policy, financing and public-private partnerships. Since 2010, she has been working as a senior advisor of Suez Environnement’s International Development Department.^[20]

Diane trained at EM Lyon (France) and Georgetown University (Washington DC), earning two masters in corporate finance & strategy followed by Foreign Service & international development (Master of Science in Foreign Service). She also graduated from Georgetown with an Honor Certificate in International Business Diplomacy

She initiated the development of the International Forum for Peace.^[21] This association was co-founded in 2002 by Ofer Brochtein, Israeli, who used to work with Itzhak Rabin, and Anis El Qaq, who represents the Palestinian Authority in Switzerland.

Links

http://www.benoit-associes.com/

http://www.fondationfranceisrael.org/

http://www.forumforpeace.net/

http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2011/04/10/les-gbagbistes-dementent-avoir-attaque-l-hotel-du-golf_1505593_3212.html

http://www.afd.fr/jahia/webdav/site/afd/shared/PUBLICATIONS/RECHERCHE/Scientifiques/A-savoir/01-A-Savoir-mars10.pdf

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/cotedivoire/8441492/Ivory-Coast-lawyers-call-for-UN-to-neutralise-Gbagbo-forces.html

References

1. ^ Fabius : Les blessures d’une ambition, Jean-Gabriel Fredet, Hachette
2. ^ La galaxie pourvoyeuse d’idées du ministre de l’économie, Michel Noblecourt, Le Monde du 20 avril 2000
3. ^ http://admi.net/jo/20000729/ECOP0000595A.html
4. ^ http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/togo?page=7
5. ^ http://www.globalrealestate.org/retreat/profile.asp?m=su05&rcd=14074&ofn=125513&
6. ^ http://www.globalrealestate.org/retreat/profile.asp?m=su05&rcd=14074&ofn=125513&
7. ^ Les 20-30 ans : une cartographie politique, Marc-Olivier Padis, Fondation Saint-Simon, juillet 1999
8. ^ http://www.reunir.asso.fr/article.php?id_article=22
9. ^ Dépêche AFP, 17 mars 1999, interview BFM du 17 mars 1999
10. ^ Martine Aubry pourrait devenir la numéro deux du PS, Michel Noblecourt, Le Monde, 5 septembre 2000
11. ^ http://spire.sciences-po.fr/hdl:/2441/5005/resources/a32-revue-capitalisme-2002.pdf
12. ^ http://www.liberation.fr/politiques/0109442460-intellos-au-chevet-des-socialos
13. ^ http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000018088965&dateTexte
14. ^ http://www.fondationfranceisrael.org/index.php/fre/Fondation/rgon/bureau/Cyril-Benoit
15. ^ www.benoit-associes.com
16. ^ Bokassa Ier, empereur de Françafrique d’Emmanuel Blanchard en 2010
17. ^ http://ethiopiques.refer.sn/spip.php?page=imprimer-article&id_article=347
18. ^ http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2011/04/10/les-gbagbistes-dementent-avoir-attaque-l-hotel-du-golf_1505593_3212.html
19. ^ http://www.abidjan.net/qui/profil.asp?id=200
20. ^ http://www.afd.fr/jahia/webdav/site/afd/shared/PUBLICATIONS/RECHERCHE/Scientifiques/A-savoir/01-A-Savoir-mars10.pdf
21. ^ http://www.forumforpeace.net/

Persondata
Name	Benoit, Cyril F.
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Date of birth	1974
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