Jean Audouard appointed interim Director General of Rennes School of Business

The Executive Board, after consultation with the Supervisory Board, has appointed Jean Audouard as interim Director General of Rennes School of Business. He will take up his duties at the School on Monday 15 May.

He succeeds Thomas Froehlicher, who has accompanied our development over the last 6 years, particularly in terms of academic recognition, the extension of our School to Paris and the impact of research.

Jean Audouard was the general manager of the Ecole Supérieure du Commerce Extérieur (ESCE) for many years and has left his mark on generations of students and alumni. He holds a DEA in Public Economics from Paris I, a degree in history, economics and philosophy, and a diploma from the ESCP cycle of continuing education.

He began his career at the age of 21 as an advisor to the Cabinet of the Minister for Health. He then joined the BP France group where he held various operational positions for ten years.

After having been a researcher at the Centre d'Etudes Industrielles (C.E.I.) of the University of Paris 1, and a teacher in economics, literature and management at the same university and at other prestigious schools, including ESCP, he joined ESCE in 1995 and became its Director General in 2004. He contributed to its development and influence until 2020, making it a school of nearly 3,000 students, member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles and EPAS accredited. Jean Audouard has been an expert with the CEFDG, a member of the UGEI board, a member of the board of the Chapitre des grandes écoles (CGE), co-founder of the AMBITIONS+ competitive entrance exam and President of the CODIR of the SESAME national competitive entrance exam.

In 2015 and 2016, he took on a 2-year mission to head the coordination of the 7 schools of the IGS education and training group, including ICD and IGS-RH, before being recalled to the management of ESCE from 2017 to 2020.

François Châtel, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said: " On behalf of the Board of Directors, the Supervisory Board chaired by Jean-Philippe Crocq, President of the Ille-et-Vilaine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the School's staff, I would like to welcome Jean Audouard and wish him every success .Jean Audouard's professional and personal qualities will be an essential asset in accelerating the development of Rennes School of Business in the coming months, particularly in effectively implementing our strategic priorities, at the heart of which are the quality of the student experience and academic excellence. "

Jean Audouard's vision for the School's development, his experience as a director of major international business schools, his in-depth knowledge of the world of higher education and his experience in the private sector will contribute fully to the projection of Rennes School of Business among the best French Grandes Ecoles.

Jean Audouard said, " With our shared academic and pedagogical ambitions and my operational experience, I will have at heart, with all the teams, to meet the major challenges that await us to enable Rennes School of Business to accelerate the implementation of its strategic projects. "