Difference between revisions of "Thierry Breton"

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|description=French politician, [[WEF/Global Leaders for Tomorrow/1998]]
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|description=French politician and leader of large corporations, briefly at [[Rothschild & Cie Banque]]. [[WEF/Global Leaders for Tomorrow/1998]]. From 2019 European Commissioner implementing censorship.
 
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He was selected a [[WEF/Global Leaders for Tomorrow/1998|Global Leader for Tomorrow in 1998]] by the [[World Economic Forum]].
 
He was selected a [[WEF/Global Leaders for Tomorrow/1998|Global Leader for Tomorrow in 1998]] by the [[World Economic Forum]].
  
Breton was vice-chairman and CEO of [[Groupe Bull]] (1996–1997), chairman and CEO of [[Technicolor SA|Thomson-RCA]] (1997–2002) and chairman and CEO of [[France Télécom]] (2002–2005). In 2005 he entered politics serving as [[Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (France)|Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry]] (2005–2007) in the governments of Prime Ministers [[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]] and [[Dominique de Villepin]], during the presidency of [[Jacques Chirac]]. From 2007 to 2008 he was a professor at [[Harvard Business School]] before joining group [[Atos]] from 2009 to 2019 as its CEO.<ref>https://www.forbes.com/companies/atos/</ref>
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Widely acclaimed as a "turnaround whiz", Breton led several French companies, including [[France Télécom]] (2002–2005), where his leadership style created a suicide wave among employees.<ref name=rights>http://techrights.org/2019/11/14/breton-at-france-telecom/</ref>
  
==Early life and education==
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In 2005 he entered politics as [[Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (France)|Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry]] (2005–2007) in the governments of Prime Ministers [[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]] and [[Dominique de Villepin]], during the presidency of [[Jacques Chirac]], after wich he briefly was a "senior advisor" to [[Rothschild & Cie Banque]].
Breton was born in the [[14th arrondissement of Paris]]. His father was a civil servant in the agency responsible for developing nuclear energy.<ref>https://www.politico.eu/article/the-rescuer/ </ref> He completed his middle and high school education at the [[École alsacienne]] in Paris and [[University-preparatory school]] classes for the [[Grandes écoles]] at [[Lycée Louis-le-Grand]].<ref name="LExpress.fr 2005">https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/thierry-breton_485726.html </ref>
 
  
Breton received a master's degree in [[Electrical Engineering]] and [[Computer Science]] from [[École Supérieure d'Électricité]] (Supélec, now [[CentraleSupélec]]) in 1979 and later graduated from the Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defence ([[IHEDN]]).<ref name="Who's Who">https://www.whoswho.fr/bio/thierry-breton_23519 </ref>
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From 2007 to 2008 he was a professor at [[Harvard Business School]] before joining group [[Atos]] from 2009 to 2019 as its CEO.<ref>https://www.forbes.com/companies/atos/</ref>
  
==Digital Services Act==
+
In 2019, he was appointed [[European Commissioner for Internal Market]], where he implemented censorship:
As  [[European Commissioner for Internal Market|Commissioner for Internal Market]], Breton is responsible for the implementation of the EU [[Digital Services Act]]. The Act gives governments more power to enforce rules governing how tech companies moderate content and to decide when they must take down illegal content. The DSA specifically will also force companies to moderate content in the languages they operate in.<ref>https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-18/musk-has-to-add-twitter-moderators-in-europe-commissioner-says</ref>
 
  
 
{{SMWQ
 
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==Early life and education==
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Breton was born in [[Paris]]. His father was a [[civil servant]] in the agency responsible for developing nuclear energy.<ref>https://www.politico.eu/article/the-rescuer/ </ref> He completed his middle and high school education at the [[École alsacienne]] in Paris and [[University-preparatory school]] classes for the [[Grandes écoles]] at [[Lycée Louis-le-Grand]].<ref name="LExpress.fr 2005">https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/thierry-breton_485726.html </ref>
 +
 +
Breton received a master's degree in [[Electrical Engineering]] and [[Computer Science]] from [[École Supérieure d'Électricité]] (Supélec, now [[CentraleSupélec]]) in 1979 and later graduated from the Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defence ([[IHEDN]]).<ref name="Who's Who">https://www.whoswho.fr/bio/thierry-breton_23519 </ref>
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 +
==Business career==
 +
Breton began his career in [[1979]] as a teacher of IT and Mathematics at the [[Lycée Français de New York]] as part of his military service through cooperation.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20191026084125/https://www.politico.eu/article/the-rescuer/</ref> In 1986 Breton became adviser to the French Ministry of Education and Research [[René Monory]].
 +
 +
In [[1993]], the French government hired Breton to help turn around troubled national computer maker [[Groupe Bull]].
 +
 +
In 1997, the French government named Breton chairman and CEO of [[Thomson Multimedia]], a state-owned consumer-electronics company that was on the verge of collapse.<ref>https://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/1997-08-24/is-it-too-late-for-thomson-intl-edition</ref>
 +
 +
Widely acclaimed as a "turnaround whiz",<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20181122092151/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1040073507228936753</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20160306154947/http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2003-07-27/the-best-european-performers</ref> Breton was named by French government as head of multinational telecommunications corporation [[France Télécom]] on 2 October 2002. At the time France Télécom, Europe’s second-largest phone company, was carrying one of the largest debt loads in the world. Its $76 billion debt burden meant that all of its cash was being eaten up by interest payments, with nothing left over to reduce the principals on its loans. His reorganization managed to increase revenue and reduce debt, but the plan was imposed unilaterally in the absence of consultation with [[trade unions]] and was accompanied by a suicide wave among employees (more than 60 between 2006 and 2009).<ref name=rights/> Although the suicide wave happened after Breton had moved on, he laid the foundation of the toxic management practices pursued by his successor [[Didier Lombard]] and his colleagues.<ref name=rights/>
 +
 +
==Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry==
 +
During his two and a half years Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry (2005–2007), Breton centered his economic policy on the need to reform public finances, specifically to reduce debt.<ref>https://archive.today/20151222175516/http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b132c504-4cfb-11db-b03c-0000779e2340.html#axzz3dh1zpbLy</ref> In July [[2006]], he set up a commission presided over by [[BNP Paribas]] CEO [[Michel Pébereau]] which was given the task of breaking the pattern of public debt.
 +
 +
==Rothschild and further business career==
 +
After two years minister, he spent a brief period as a "senior advisor" to [[Rothschild & Cie Banque]]<ref>http://techrights.org/2019/11/22/breton-in-high-places/</ref><ref>https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2007/09/11/thierry-breton-rejoint-la-banque-d-affaires-rothschild_953765_3234.html</ref> and professor at [[Harvard Business School]]<ref>https://www.ft.com/content/0e1e3cb0-2fbb-11dc-a68f-0000779fd2ac</ref>, before in November 2008 becoming the executive chairman and CEO of private-owned Atos S.A.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20121103141141/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aOpHCL50TOTA</ref> Breton had a prominent role in President [[Emmanuel Macron]]’s entourage during the US state visit in April [[2018]], indicating his privileged position in the French President’s inner circle.<ref>http://techrights.org/2019/12/18/breton-in-brussels/</ref>
 +
 +
==Digital Services Act==
 +
As  [[European Commissioner for Internal Market|Commissioner for Internal Market]], Breton is responsible for the implementation of the EU [[Digital Services Act]]. The Act gives governments more power to enforce rules governing how tech companies moderate content and to decide when they must take down illegal content. The DSA specifically will also force companies to moderate content in the languages they operate in.<ref>https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-18/musk-has-to-add-twitter-moderators-in-europe-commissioner-says</ref>
 +
  
 
{{SMWDocs}}
 
{{SMWDocs}}
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
{{reflist}}
 
{{reflist}}

Latest revision as of 12:43, 31 May 2023

Person.png Thierry Breton  Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(politician)
Global Conference at Unesco Thierry Breton-2.JPG
Born15 January 1955
Paris, France
NationalityFrench, Senegalese
Alma materÉcole alsacienne, Lycée Louis-le-Grand, Supélec, Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defence
Member ofEuropean Round Table of Industrialists, Franco-British Colloque, Le Siècle, WEF/Global Leaders for Tomorrow/1998
French politician and leader of large corporations, briefly at Rothschild & Cie Banque. WEF/Global Leaders for Tomorrow/1998. From 2019 European Commissioner implementing censorship.

Employment.png European Commissioner/Internal Market Wikipedia-icon.png

In office
1 December 2019 - Present

Employment.png France/Minister/Economy Finance and Industry

In office
25 February 2005 - 18 May 2007

Thierry Breton is a French business executive, politician, writer and Commissioner for Internal Market of the European Union.

He was selected a Global Leader for Tomorrow in 1998 by the World Economic Forum.

Widely acclaimed as a "turnaround whiz", Breton led several French companies, including France Télécom (2002–2005), where his leadership style created a suicide wave among employees.[1]

In 2005 he entered politics as Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry (2005–2007) in the governments of Prime Ministers Jean-Pierre Raffarin and Dominique de Villepin, during the presidency of Jacques Chirac, after wich he briefly was a "senior advisor" to Rothschild & Cie Banque.

From 2007 to 2008 he was a professor at Harvard Business School before joining group Atos from 2009 to 2019 as its CEO.[2]

In 2019, he was appointed European Commissioner for Internal Market, where he implemented censorship:

“[Elon Musk] is in the process of reducing a certain number of moderators, but he will have to increase them in Europe...He will have to open his algorithms. We will have control, we will have access, people will no longer be able to say rubbish.[3]
Thierry Breton (November 18, 2022)  [4]
EU Commissioner for Internal Market

Early life and education

Breton was born in Paris. His father was a civil servant in the agency responsible for developing nuclear energy.[5] He completed his middle and high school education at the École alsacienne in Paris and University-preparatory school classes for the Grandes écoles at Lycée Louis-le-Grand.[6]

Breton received a master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from École Supérieure d'Électricité (Supélec, now CentraleSupélec) in 1979 and later graduated from the Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defence (IHEDN).[7]

Business career

Breton began his career in 1979 as a teacher of IT and Mathematics at the Lycée Français de New York as part of his military service through cooperation.[8] In 1986 Breton became adviser to the French Ministry of Education and Research René Monory.

In 1993, the French government hired Breton to help turn around troubled national computer maker Groupe Bull.

In 1997, the French government named Breton chairman and CEO of Thomson Multimedia, a state-owned consumer-electronics company that was on the verge of collapse.[9]

Widely acclaimed as a "turnaround whiz",[10][11] Breton was named by French government as head of multinational telecommunications corporation France Télécom on 2 October 2002. At the time France Télécom, Europe’s second-largest phone company, was carrying one of the largest debt loads in the world. Its $76 billion debt burden meant that all of its cash was being eaten up by interest payments, with nothing left over to reduce the principals on its loans. His reorganization managed to increase revenue and reduce debt, but the plan was imposed unilaterally in the absence of consultation with trade unions and was accompanied by a suicide wave among employees (more than 60 between 2006 and 2009).[1] Although the suicide wave happened after Breton had moved on, he laid the foundation of the toxic management practices pursued by his successor Didier Lombard and his colleagues.[1]

Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry

During his two and a half years Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry (2005–2007), Breton centered his economic policy on the need to reform public finances, specifically to reduce debt.[12] In July 2006, he set up a commission presided over by BNP Paribas CEO Michel Pébereau which was given the task of breaking the pattern of public debt.

Rothschild and further business career

After two years minister, he spent a brief period as a "senior advisor" to Rothschild & Cie Banque[13][14] and professor at Harvard Business School[15], before in November 2008 becoming the executive chairman and CEO of private-owned Atos S.A.[16] Breton had a prominent role in President Emmanuel Macron’s entourage during the US state visit in April 2018, indicating his privileged position in the French President’s inner circle.[17]

Digital Services Act

As Commissioner for Internal Market, Breton is responsible for the implementation of the EU Digital Services Act. The Act gives governments more power to enforce rules governing how tech companies moderate content and to decide when they must take down illegal content. The DSA specifically will also force companies to moderate content in the languages they operate in.[18]


 

Events Participated in

EventStartEndLocation(s)Description
Munich Security Conference/202014 February 202016 February 2020Germany
Munich
Bavaria
The 56th Munich Security Conference, in 2020, "welcomed an unprecedented number of high-ranking international decision-makers."
Munich Security Conference/202218 February 202220 February 2022Germany
Munich
Bavaria
Slightly less than 1/3 of the 664 of the participants have pages here
WEF/Annual Meeting/200724 January 200728 January 2007SwitzerlandOnly the 449 public figures listed of ~2200 participants
WEF/Annual Meeting/202021 January 202024 January 2020World Economic Forum
Switzerland
This mega-summit of the world's ruling class and their political and media appendages happens every year, but 2020 was special, as the continuous corporate media coverage of COVID-19 started more or less from one day to the next on 20/21 January 2020, coinciding with the start of the meeting.
Many thanks to our Patrons who cover ~2/3 of our hosting bill. Please join them if you can.


References

  1. a b c http://techrights.org/2019/11/14/breton-at-france-telecom/
  2. https://www.forbes.com/companies/atos/
  3. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-18/musk-has-to-add-twitter-moderators-in-europe-commissioner-says
  4. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-18/musk-has-to-add-twitter-moderators-in-europe-commissioner-says
  5. https://www.politico.eu/article/the-rescuer/
  6. https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/thierry-breton_485726.html
  7. https://www.whoswho.fr/bio/thierry-breton_23519
  8. https://web.archive.org/web/20191026084125/https://www.politico.eu/article/the-rescuer/
  9. https://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/1997-08-24/is-it-too-late-for-thomson-intl-edition
  10. https://web.archive.org/web/20181122092151/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1040073507228936753
  11. https://web.archive.org/web/20160306154947/http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2003-07-27/the-best-european-performers
  12. https://archive.today/20151222175516/http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b132c504-4cfb-11db-b03c-0000779e2340.html#axzz3dh1zpbLy
  13. http://techrights.org/2019/11/22/breton-in-high-places/
  14. https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2007/09/11/thierry-breton-rejoint-la-banque-d-affaires-rothschild_953765_3234.html
  15. https://www.ft.com/content/0e1e3cb0-2fbb-11dc-a68f-0000779fd2ac
  16. https://web.archive.org/web/20121103141141/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aOpHCL50TOTA
  17. http://techrights.org/2019/12/18/breton-in-brussels/
  18. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-18/musk-has-to-add-twitter-moderators-in-europe-commissioner-says